As health-centred design takes centre-stage in built environments, architects, builders and developers are going beyond resource efficiencies to deliver spaces that foster wellbeing, inclusivity and resilience. With emerging trends including biophilia, circadian lighting, acoustics and indoor air quality shaping the next generation of built spaces, materiality is increasingly being acknowledged as one of the most powerful contributors to healthy buildings.

What buildings are made of, how those materials perform over time, and what goes into their maintenance can determine whether a space supports the wellbeing of the people who live or work in it. Beyond these parameters, materiality also impacts the sustainability credentials of the building in terms of whether materials can be reused, repurposed or recycled at end-of-life.

The right choice of materials is fundamental to the creation of a healthy building. Materials influence nearly every aspect of indoor environmental quality from air quality, acoustics and lighting to thermal comfort and even psychological perception. A surface may look like a perfect fit but if it off-gasses harmful chemicals, has poor acoustic absorption or contributes to visual fatigue, its impact accumulates over time.

Indoor air quality and material selection

Buildings often use materials such as MDF and plywood boards with high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde. These airborne chemicals are linked to respiratory issues, headaches and long-term health risks – and yet they remain commonplace, especially in workplace fitouts.

With Australians spending 90% of their time indoors, air quality is emerging as a defining issue in healthy buildings. Design professionals and specifiers are increasingly assessing materials at a granular level – this means understanding adhesives, finishes, origins and supply chains, not just the final product.

This is where third-party certifications such as GECA play an important role. Good Environmental Choice Australia or GECA is an eco-labelling program that certifies products based on their environmental, health and social impacts, enabling industry professionals and consumers to make smarter, sustainable and responsible product choices. From a materials perspective, GECA brings transparency to the design and building industry.

However, material selection is only one part of the story. Spaces designed with low-toxicity materials can quickly become unhealthy if cleaning or maintenance regimes introduce chemicals into the indoor environment. Similar to materials, the standards ecosystem extends to products that help maintain a building’s health over time – such as cleaning products that do not compromise the indoor air quality – underlining the need to take a whole-of-life view of the built environment. Also, testing the quality of air indoors using simple and low-cost air quality monitors leads to better understanding of the performance of built spaces in real time, allowing timely course correction if required.

*Abacus features a retreat space, designed to meet the sensory needs of staff (Source: Gray Puksand)*

Acoustics and sensory comfort

Among all indoor environmental quality parameters, acoustics represents the maximum opportunity but consistently performs the worst in post-occupation studies. Despite world-leading advances in workplace design, creating acoustically balanced spaces continues to remain a challenge, particularly in hybrid work environments, where people have higher expectations around acoustics after working from home. Another interesting insight from a Leesman study reveals that corporate offices have, since the pandemic, reduced focus work areas while increasing collaboration-type spaces, despite the fact that most employees seek acoustic comfort for focused work.

Acoustics is also integral to designing sensory-responsive and neuro-inclusive spaces that support and comfort those diagnosed with various neurological conditions. Neurodiversity as a design driver leads to the creation of spaces that reduce stress and anxiety through sensory features such as low contrast finishes, low tactility, sound-absorbing materials, calming colours, biophilia, reduced clutter and adjustable light levels, producing environments with less sensory input where people can retreat to and reset.

Materiality is central to the acoustic performance of any space. From wall and ceiling panels, flooring, partitions, screening and drapes to furnishings, glazing and joinery, every material decision has an impact on how sound is controlled within the building to minimise distraction and maximise productivity.

Circularity and lifecycle benefits

The built environment accounts for roughly a third of all materials consumed in the world; yet, circularity rates remain shockingly low. However, this also represents a massive opportunity for the industry.

Circularity, by way of reusing materials at their highest value, regenerative design, adaptive reuse, and closed-loop thinking, delivers both health and environmental benefits. Turning waste into materials for reuse adds billions of dollars in value to the economy, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping millions of tonnes of waste out of the landfill.

Crucially, circularity is about making better use of materials, be it through reuse, repurposing or recycling. But cost perceptions significantly influence decision-making around sustainable materials and circular strategies, with clients and contractors often associating them with higher expense. It’s up to the designer to reframe these assumptions by convincing them about the long-term savings and lifecycle benefits that far outweigh initial costs.

Modern construction is still driven by a preference for new things. For circularity to become best practice, a cultural shift in thinking is required – one that embraces repair, imperfection and longevity.

*At SMEC, meeting rooms feature soft drapery and integrated planting (Source: Gray Puksand)*

Conclusion

Materiality is no longer just a technical decision. What we choose to build with determines not only the environmental footprint of our buildings, but also the quality of life of the people who will live or work in them. As expectations of built environments continue to evolve, the industry must adopt a more holistic approach that considers materials not only at the point of installation, but also across their full lifecycle.

By prioritising low-toxicity materials, acoustically responsive design and circular strategies, designers and developers can create spaces that actively support human wellbeing while reducing environmental impact. Healthy buildings are ultimately those that perform over time – protecting the people within them, adapting to changing needs and contributing positively to a more resilient and responsible built environment.

This article is based on insights drawn from the session titled The latest trends in designing for health and wellbeing held as part of the 2025 Sustainability Summit.

Main image: The Perpetual Group workplace designed by Gray Puksand. Apart from repurposing 340 tonnes of furniture for schools and community workspaces, the project saw the use of post-consumer recycled plastic as joinery material. (Source: Gray Puksand)

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