Prepared by: The Research Thread Editorial Collective | EastMid Builders
Review Focus: Respiratory Health
Methodology: Interdisciplinary synthesis of environmental health and design standards
Introduction: The Hidden Health Cost of Home
The spaces we inhabit are meant to protect, comfort, and restore us. Yet, for millions across the UK, the very places we call home are quietly eroding our ability to breathe. With over 12 million people suffering from chronic respiratory conditions—including asthma, COPD, and allergic rhinitis—the built environment has emerged as a critical, yet overlooked, factor in public health.
While attention has rightly focused on outdoor pollution, a growing body of evidence suggests that indoor air may be more harmful—and homes are often the starting point of long-term respiratory vulnerability. This article investigates how everyday housing design choices, materials, and maintenance standards are influencing the air we breathe and the lungs we live with.
Damp, Dust, and Design: Respiratory Risks in UK Homes
Research shows that people spend up to 90% of their time indoors (Allen & Macomber, 2020), and for many, the quality of indoor air is silently contributing to breathlessness, inflammation, and reduced lung function.
Key contributors include:
- Damp and Mould: Especially prevalent in rental and social housing, damp conditions foster mould growth, known to trigger asthma, wheezing, and bronchitis—particularly in children (RCP, 2016).
- Synthetic Carpets and Furnishings: Wall-to-wall carpeting traps dust mites and releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which worsen allergic and asthmatic conditions.
- Gas Appliances and Poor Ventilation: Nitrogen dioxide from gas cookers, combined with poor air exchange, creates environments ripe for respiratory irritation.
- Overcrowding and Lack of Airflow: High-density living restricts airflow and increases the buildup of allergens and humidity.
In many cases, these issues are embedded into housing infrastructure, compounding inequalities and limiting individual agency to create healthy environments.
Whose Health is at Risk? Disproportionate Impact and Inequity
The respiratory burden is not evenly shared.
Children living in cold, damp homes are up to three times more likely to develop asthma. Older adults, already vulnerable to lung infections, face higher risks in poorly ventilated flats. And ethnically diverse and low-income households are more likely to live in overcrowded conditions or rental properties with limited environmental safeguards (WHO, 2018; BLF, 2021).
These disparities reflect not just medical vulnerability but systemic neglect—where building codes, cost-saving measures, and a lack of cross-sector collaboration have made housing a social determinant of respiratory disease.
From Harmful Design to Healing Spaces: What Needs to Change
Despite the availability of evidence-based design standards—such as the WELL Building Standard, Fitwel, and NICE indoor air quality guidelines—these frameworks are rarely enforced in UK housing policy or standard construction practice.
To reverse this trajectory, housing must be treated not just as infrastructure, but as a health intervention. Recommendations include:
- Eliminating high-emission materials, especially in public and rental housing
- Phasing out wall-to-wall carpeting in favour of low-emission, easy-clean surfaces
- Mandatory mechanical ventilation systems in all new builds
- Humidity and air quality monitoring in social housing and schools
- Collaborative planning between developers, public health bodies, and community-led organisations
- Routine post-occupancy health assessments, with feedback loops into design improvement
Conclusion: A Breathable Future Begins at Home
The air inside our homes should never be a threat. Yet for too many, it is a silent factor in chronic illness, absenteeism, sleep disruption, and avoidable NHS admissions. If we are serious about prevention, equity, and well-being, we must design—and demand—homes that heal, not harm.
Breathing space is not just about square footage. It’s about rights, dignity, and the quality of the air we depend on every moment of our lives.
References
Allen, J. G., & Macomber, J. D. (2020). Healthy buildings: How indoor spaces drive performance and productivity. Harvard University Press.
British Lung Foundation. (2021). The impact of air pollution on lung health. https://www.blf.org.uk
Fitwel. (2021). Fitwel Standard – Strategies to Optimize Health in Buildings. Center for Active Design. https://www.fitwel.org
Global Action Plan. (2022). The inside story: Health effects of indoor air pollution on children and young people. https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk
International WELL Building Institute. (2022). WELL Building Standard v2. https://www.wellcertified.com/certification/v2/
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). (2022). Indoor air quality at home. NICE guideline [NG149]. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng149
Royal College of Physicians. (2016). Every breath we take: The lifelong impact of air pollution. https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/every-breath-we-take-lifelong-impact-air-pollution
World Health Organization. (2018). Housing and health guidelines. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550376
How to Cite This Article
The Research Thread Editorial Collective. (2025, June 26). Breathing Space: What Our Homes Are Doing to Our Lungs. The Research Thread. https://theresearchthread.com/breathing-space-housing-respiratory-health