Stephanie Taylor and Building for Health

In the latest episode of the "Air Quality Matters" podcast, I had the privilege of engaging with Dr. Stephanie Taylor, a remarkable person whose journey bridges medicine, microbiology, and architecture.

Her story begins with a distinguished medical career, starting with a degree from Harvard, leading to pediatric oncology, and research into cellular growth control mechanisms. However, her career took a unique turn as she observed the built environment's impact on patient health, specifically regarding healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Driven to understand and improve the intersection between human health and the built environment, Dr. Taylor returned to academia to earn a master's in architecture. This decision marked the start of an interdisciplinary approach, aiming to harmonise architectural design with health outcomes.

Her work has since garnered recognition, including her roles as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer and a member of the US Green Building Council's Technical Advisory Board on indoor air quality.

In 2019, she founded Building4Health, focusing on the critical yet often overlooked aspect of managing indoor air quality from a medical viewpoint.

Drawing on her unique perspective to emphasise the intrinsic connection between our health and the places we inhabit. She recounts how her experiences in the medical field, witnessing firsthand the effects of HAIs, led to a deep suspicion of the healthcare facility's role in patient health outcomes. This suspicion evolved into a conviction, driving her to explore and understand the complex relationship between health and the built environment.

One of the most compelling aspects of our discussion revolved around the idea of viewing the patient as a biomarker for the building's performance. By analysing patient outcomes and health records in conjunction with indoor environmental conditions, Dr. Taylor advocates for a more holistic approach to building design and operation.

This approach challenges traditional metrics of building performance and underscores the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration to foster environments that genuinely promote health and well-being.

Dr. Taylor's journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and the importance of stepping outside one's comfort zone. Her transition from medicine to architecture, while daunting, highlights the transformative potential of embracing interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex problems. It's a reminder of the importance of considering the human-centric perspective in all aspects of design and operation, especially in environments as critical as healthcare facilities.

The conversation also touched on broader implications for the built environment beyond healthcare. Dr. Taylor's work with Building for Health and the development of a medically based indoor air quality health standard represents an innovative approach to understanding and improving our living and working spaces. By continuously monitoring indoor and outdoor air quality metrics, and providing actionable insights, her work offers a blueprint for making informed decisions that prioritise occupant health.

As we wrapped up part one of our conversation, the challenges of translating this interdisciplinary approach into scalable solutions was discussed ansd delved into the complexities of measuring and improving air quality, the legal and economic hurdles facing building owners, and the broader societal implications of our findings.

Stephanie’s pioneering work serves as a clarion call for integrating health, engineering, and microbiology disciplines to create environments that do more than shelter—they heal and nurture.