Why i studied in two countries
March, 2023.
I am often asked why I chose to study Building Biology, focusing on healthy building materials and healthy home design in two countries.
A fire was ignited in me when I undertook the assignments required as part of my studies in Australia, which began with learning how to apply building biology principles to assess building materials and design a healthy home (see my credentials here).
I was astounded, after painstakingly researching the known health and environmental impacts of every ingredient in every material used to build my home, and realising there is mountains of evidence linking commonly used building materials to so many of the health problems we see today. I was also really excited about healthier alternatives I’d done life cycle assessments on, for another assignment.
I loved the process of researching the site a family member was building a home on and developing a brief and floor-plan for the architect, ensuring factors unique to the site, climate, microclimate and external health hazards were taken into account, for another assignment.
At this point I knew I wanted to go all in on specialising in healthy building materials and healthy home design, rather than doing environmental assessments.
Because of my environmental sensitivities, it did not make sense for me to pursue an education pathway that required me to become a Certified Mould Testing Technician, and Certified EMF testing technician, among other subjects required to carry out environmental assessments. I also knew I wanted to be part of the longer term solution, so that fewer people are sick because of their homes, in the years to come.
There is currently no certification pathway specific to Building Biology in the context of new builds in Australia. So I investigated what options there were internationally.
Building Biology was founded in Germany in the 1970s and the 25 guiding principles of Building Biology are universal. And so I looked into what options there are for further study internationally.
I was thrilled to discover that the Building Biology Institute, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the USA, offers a Building Biology New Build Consultant Certification.
The Building Biology Institute was founded in the 1980s by German Architect Helmut Ziehe, who studied under the founder of Building Biology in Germany, Professor Anton Schneider Ph.D.
I was incredibly lucky to be mentored by two leaders and pioneers in the Building Biology New Build space, Paula Baker-Laporte FAIA, BBNC, BBEC, and Stephen Collette, BBNC, BBEC, LEED AP, CAHP, BSS.
Paula Baker-Laporte is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Building Biology New Build Consultant, Building Biology Environmental Consultant, and author, with 30 years experience in the Building Biology field, specialising in designing homes for environmentally sensitive people, in partnership with her builder husband, Roger Laporte. Paula was mentored by Helmut Ziehe.
Stephen Collette, a former strawbale builder, is a Building Biology New Build Consultant, Building Biology Environmental Consultant, Building Science Specialist, Leadership in Energy Efficient Design Accredited Professional, with a background in engineering.
The highlight of my 22 months as a student at the Building Biology Institute was the 72 hours of live training and mentoring with Stephen and Paula, and like-minded students from all over the world.
Although I learned much from the education I received and the assignments I undertook as part of my studies in home design and building materials in Australia, including really valuable research skills, training in a live format had not been part of the subjects I studied.
It was worth every second of the 4am starts, to learn first-hand from Stephen and Paula’s decades of experience and ask the long list of questions I had, based on the vast amounts of research I had already done, while also continuing my research into Australian based building products, and building relationships with, interviewing, and learning from, an incredible network of experts in the fields of Mould Testing, EMF testing, Building Science, and Natural Building, in Australia.
The unique aspect of my training in the USA, was the education and mentoring I received in Building Science, in addition to Building Biology. This helped provide much needed insight into where the two disciplines differ, how to draw from both to achieve the best health outcome for clients, and why both are so fundamental to creating a healthy home.
I completed 9 subjects at the Building Biology Institute, including four core subjects and five electives, plus my final assignment, which was a brilliant opportunity to integrate nearly three years of learning, and get feedback from both of my incredible mentors, upon completion of which I received my Building Biology New Build Consultant Certification.
The training I received in both countries was remarkably different, but both taught me invaluable skills, that ultimately enable me to bring more knowledge to my clients. Much more than if I had studied in one country, and not the other.
Although the additional training in the US, was a significant additional investment of time and money, I’m so glad to be able to bring this knowledge to my Australian based clients, while also connecting them with locally based and Certified Mould Testing Technicians and EMF testing technicians, and experts in the fields of Building Science and Natural Building.
I have also researched, and continue to research, extensively beyond the requirements of my studies, (hours easily in the hundreds), to be able to provide my clients with the latest, up-to-date information on building products, changes to the National Construction Code, and seek out the perspectives of industry experts, to help clients arrive at their own conclusions on the best decisions for their unique set of circumstances.
New information is always emerging, which keeps me busy doing updates to content, and asking suppliers for information that typically isn’t provided in safety data sheets.
When I embarked on my studies in the USA, I realised how important it was to build relationships with, and learn from, locally based experts in Building Science, Natural Building, Mould Testing, EMF testing, and building industry professionals.
Throughout this time, and ongoing (I’ll forever be a student of the world of Environmental health, because there’s always more to learn), I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have an epic network of such professionals to draw upon, to discuss what I learned, ask questions, and support each others. Not only have they become some of my greatest teachers, they have also become friends and allies in the movement for change.
An absolute highlight was a six day natural building workshop in the Byron Day Hinterland. The opportunity to get to work with materials I’d researched extensively, and all that time to ask questions of, and discuss all things healthier home building, with people with expertise in not only natural building, but also Building Science. It was a transformative and empowering experience for me not only professionally, but also personally.
The conversations that we had across those six days together were food for the mind and soul. They gave me a real appreciation of how much is involved in delivering a truly healthier built environment, with the need to involve experts in natural building, Building Biology and Building Science.
As part of my ongoing commitment to learning and development, I am a Professional Member of both the Building Biology Institute in the USA, and the Australian Institute of Building Biology, which is officially affiliated with the German Institute of Building Biology and Ecology (IBN), founded by Professor Anton Schneider, Ph.D.
