Beyond Transparency: Improving Product Decisions with Transparency and Material Health Information

In the Fall 2018, Parsons Healthy Materials Lab and Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) hosted a discussion series on Transparency and Material Health. This Four-Part, live Discussion Series provided practical answers to questions that architectural and design practitioners are likely to encounter as they take the next steps to integrate healthy materials practices in product selection and specification in their projects.

The third Discussion in our series, entitled “Beyond Transparency: Improving Product Decisions with Transparency and Material Health Information” provided insight into the next level of integrating material health information with other decision parameters. We addressed the question: “How can project teams tackle the question of “selecting healthier products.” We explored decision-making frameworks that integrate consideration of material health attributes with cost, performance and other product characteristics. Drawing on experience in related fields such as industrial hygiene, we explored the tools that are feasible in today’s situation, to support these next steps in selecting and specifying healthier building products, and healthier buildings.

Speakers included:

• John Amatruda, Principal – Vidaris, Inc.
• Catherine Bobenhausen, Senior Consultant - Colden Corporation
• Heather Henriksen, Managing Director, Harvard University Office for Sustainability
• Jonsara Ruth, Design Director- Parsons Healthy Materials Lab
• Alison Mears, Director- Parsons Healthy Materials Lab
• Wendy Vittori, Executive Director - Health Product Declaration Collaborative