When Jorge Martínez’s parents’ house was painted, his wife, Dominica Pérez, had to stop coming home for several weeks. Every time he tried he felt bad. He has known for a long time that suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities (to which fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue have been added). She lives with the disease – a wall paint can cause cystitis – and her husband has learned with her to lead a healthier, chemical-free lifestyle. The worst, she admits, are the cleaning products, but there are many unhealthy things in our home; The furniture, without going any further, has glues and lacquers.
Taking advantage of their experience as architects, they began to design their own bio-healthy single-family home, which they have named Nica (in addition, they advise whoever commissions their house, because “there are many solutions that do not even involve more cost, just knowledge”). «We lived in a traditional home and we know when Dominica is bad that there is volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or that the humidity percentages are not adequate or the air quality is not good. In general, the electromagnetic fields that we find in homes are not adequate, the bedroom is not designed as a recovery space. Sometimes I go to do renovations and see wet corners; condensation ceilings; in the headboards, a lot of plugs, chargers… electromagnetic fields that are influencing you. Then I think “this man is sleeping in this space, which is totally sick for him,” says Jorge Martínez.
The project has not been easy and each decision made in the design has a purpose: to relieve symptoms, promote better rest, and guarantee that every corner of the home contributes to health. Before choosing the spot where they would build their house in the municipality of El Franco, Asturias, they thoroughly studied the soil. «We study radiation and water currents»says Jorge. They are designing the furniture themselves because they cannot find a natural alternative on the market and for the envelope they have used a material that they already worked with: Pladur. These plasterboards do not emit VOCs, prevent humidity, allow quick assembly on site and, in addition, are an “infinitely recyclable” material, as Enrique Ramírez, director of Pladur, recalls.
“When you get into a new car, that smell that you notice is VOCs that evaporate,” the manager recalled. And the firm has just presented the conclusions of a report on construction trends, based on a sample of more than 3 million people and 29 million data since 2019. One of the conclusions precisely points to a growing interest in healthy construction, with an increase of 156% in online searches.
Additionally, the report reveals that an additional 1.6% growth is projected in 2024, demonstrating growing interest in environments that promote well-being. «Since the pandemic we have taken energy efficiency into account, but we also talk more about air quality, humidity… We spend 80% of our time in buildings.Ramírez recalls.