Watch a discussion between leading experts on healthier building about recommendations and solutions for specifying healthier resilient flooring.
Hosted by Center for Environmental Health, this presentation focuses on the prevailing perception in the building industry that Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are the gold standard for material transparency and a proxy for environmental integrity. CEH’s recent study “Flooring’s Dirty Climate Secret” reveals a different story.
CEH’s supply chain analysis of vinyl flooring manufacturing in the U.S. and China uncovered gaps and underreporting in existing EPDs - revealing the carbon and toxic impact of “luxury” vinyl flooring.
Hosted by Center for Environmental Health
Speakers:
Leila Behjat, Architect & Senior Researcher in Design and Practice, Parsons Healthy Materials Lab
Anjanette Green, Senior Director of Product Transformation, Healthy Building Network
Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet, Vice President, Determined by Design
Rachael Wein, Director, Built Environment Program at Center for Environmental Health
Contributors
Leila Behjat
Director of Material Ecology
Full Bio
Leila D Behjat has worked globally in the fields of architecture, interior, and lighting design on both residential and commercial projects, developing an expertise in material ecology and renovation with healthier building materials. In her current role as Senior Researcher in Material, Design, and Practice the Lab, she curates publicly available collections of healthier, low-embodied construction products and methods and consults on projects to achieve healthier, sustainable, and more circular spaces. In an ever-evolving industry, she is currently furthering her education with the German Sustainable Building Council DGNB and is actively engaged in community building, and learning about creating vibrant and thriving neighborhoods. Leila holds a Diplom-Ingenieur (Masters) in Architecture from Hafencity Universität, Germany, and was also a 2022 Maintainers Movement Fellow.
