Tools & Guides

Browse through our digital collection of tools and guides to help designers, architects, homeowners, and developers make more informed choices about building materials and health.

HML Resources

See all 15 tools & guides

Material Health: Design Frontiers

Healthy Materials Lab

Open Source Details: Designing with Hemp + Lime

Healthy Materials Lab

Color x Health

Healthy Materials Lab

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Hemp + Lime

Healthy Materials Lab

Healthier Cabinetry Guide

Healthy Materials Lab

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Healthy Materials Method Cards

10 Simple Steps for a Healthier Lifestyle

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Syllabus: Healthier Materials & Sustainable Buildings Certificate Program

Healthy Materials Lab, Parsons School of Design

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HML Textile Guides

See all 7 tools & guides
The polluting practices of the textile industry are responsible for widespread impact on people and the environment. Learn about innovation in six major categories that can collectively transform the industry. These guides detail sourcing strategies, alternatives to current processes, and resources that exemplify the future of healthier textiles.

Textiles & Health

Textiles & Climate

Textiles & Circularity

Textiles & Water

Textiles & Waste

Textiles & Social Equity

An Introduction to Healthier Textiles

Healthy Materials Lab

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Research Research

See all 38 tools & guides
Searching for information about toxic chemicals, health hazards or how vulnerable groups can protect themselves? Find resources detailing building materials impact on health here.

Better Building Materials

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Toolbox for Exposure Assessors

Environmental Protection Agency

External Link

Healthy Building Network: Reports

Healthy Building Network (HBN)

Six Classes: Chemicals of Concern

Green Science Policy Institute

External Link

BuildingGreen Continuing Education

BuildingGreen

External Link

The Story of Stuff

External Link

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Environmental Protection Agency

External Link

NIEHS

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

External Link

Strategies

See all 13 tools & guides
Forget about using the best of the worst products, master design strategies with no health hazards at all. Learn from historical precedents, material innovations, and by material categories.

Rachel Carson

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

External Link

ReWall: Innovation Through Recycling

The Bullitt Center

International Living Future Institute

External Link

Living Building Challenge

International Living Future Institute

External Link

Healthy Soil, Healthy Communities

Carbon Cycle Institute

External Link

What is the Circular Economy?

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

External Link

Materiom

External Link

Ecovative: Growing alternative materials

Evaluation

See all 71 tools & guides
Utilize key certifications & disclosures, hazard standards, and product assessment tools to gauge how certain building products measure up.

The Construction Material Pyramid

Centre for Industrialised Architecture, Royal Danish Academy

Eco-Healthy Child Care

Children's Environmental Health Network (CEHN)

External Link

HomeFree: Product Spotlight

Healthy Building Network (HBN)

External Link

BuildingGreen Product Guidance

BuildingGreen

External Link

Quartz Building Product Database

Healthy Building Network (HBN)

External Link

Healthy Home Guide

Environmental Working Group

External Link

General Spec Guidance

Healthy Building Network (HBN)

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Health Product Declaration (HPD) Public Repository

External Link

Practices

See all 12 tools & guides
Grow your expertise with field notes and career opportunities.

Harvard Green Building Standards

Harvard Office for Sustainability

External Link

Creating Healthy Indoor Air Quality in Schools

Environmental Protection Agency

External Link

Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids

Environmental Protection Agency

External Link

Public Participation Guide

Environmental Protection Agency

External Link

Active Design Playbook for Early Childhood

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

BPE Gypsum Wallboard Closed Loop Recycling

Building Product Ecosystems, Parsons School of Design

External Link

Healthier Building Materials Protocol

The American Institute of Architects

External Link

Healthy Materials Method Cards

Material Libraries

See all 4 tools & guides

Donghia Healthier Materials Library

Healthy Materials Lab, Parsons School of Design

Material Order

Donghia healthier Materials Library

Mindful Materials

Mindful Materials Collaborative

Material District

MaterialDistrict

Updates from Trusted Sources

See all 5 tools & guides
Stay connected to the latest material health developments with our most trusted sources.

The BuildingGreen Report

BuildingGreen

External Link

Healthy Building Network News

Healthy Building Network (HBN)

External Link

Environmental Working Group News

Environmental Working Group

External Link

Environmental Health News

Environmental Health Sciences

External Link

Center for Environmental Health

External Link

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