SUSD0003 Week 9: TED Talk: Designing for microbes

http://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_green_good_germs_make_healthy_buildings

This interesting TED talk discusses a topic that we never really talk about in architecture: microbes. Even if we do talk about these organism its usually the negative aspects that are highlighted.

It seems that in a given building, every room type are akin to a distinct ecosystem for specific microbes. In a same room however some areas or mechanical systems can have significantly different from each other suggesting that design strategies can indeed manipulate microbial composition. When these room are operated differently the microbes are also heavily affected; such as if a classroom remains closed for a whole week the bacteria carried into these rooms by the people who used them earlier cannot be flushed out and remained there. In fact, that colony might have grown well enough in that non-ventilated area that when the classroom were opened they produce an uncomfortable odour.

Now that we know microbes can affect our living spaces and conditions (therefore our quality of life) we should give some thought into them. What's more, we know we can manipulate them in some way. Although more research is needed on exactly how and why (also considering that the experiment was only on one building) it seems like designing to make microbes work for us or at least prevent them from degrading our health is a relevant cause to take for the future.