Healthy Buildings Network

Many of us will spend 90% of our time indoors, at work, at home and for leisure. But how healthy are the buildings in which we live, work, and spend time?

The Healthy Buildings Network aims to reimagine indoor spaces to improve the physical, mental, and social well-being of their occupants through sustainable design, quality indoor air, thermal comfort, and accessibility, while aligning with net-zero emissions goals.

The network will bring together researchers from all disciplines with professionals from across multiple sectors. 

Through this interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach, we aim to connect research with public health, environment, sociology, engineering to address issues around built indoor spaces – from schools and hospitals to workplaces and homes.

The Healthy Buildings Network is open to researchers and research professionals across higher education, as well as those with a personal or professional interest in improving health and wellbeing through the built environment.

Join the network

If you would like to join, or receive updates about our work and future events, please complete the online form.

For any queries email the Healthy Buildings Network at healthy_buildings_network@leeds.ac.uk 

Network lead testimonies

“As part of the Leeds Healthy Buildings Network, we will be working on rethinking how our built environments actively support physical, mental, and social well-being while promoting sustainability. This includes, for example, indoor and outdoor pollution and the economic and psychological impact of energy poverty and climate change. I am excited to embark on this journey with Marco, Martin and everyone who wishes to join us!” – Irene Mussio Garcia, Network co-lead.

“It is really exciting to launch the Healthy Buildings Network with the support of the Horizons Institute at Leeds. We will be carrying out many different activities to trigger new collaborations between colleagues at Leeds and non-academic partners, and to support early-career researchers in this area. The challenge of making indoor environments healthier requires a truly interdisciplinary approach, and I really think this network represents the perfect opportunity to facilitate this work.” – Martín López-García, Network co-lead.

“As the lead of the Water, Public Health, and Environmental Engineering Research Group at the University of Leeds, my work focuses on understanding and mitigating infection transmission, particularly within hospital environments. Through the Healthy Buildings Network, we are taking a vital interdisciplinary approach to reimagine the spaces we live and work in—spaces that prioritise not only infection control but also the overall health, comfort, and well-being of their occupants. By integrating insights from engineering, public health, and environmental science, we can create buildings that are safer, more sustainable, and resilient, all while addressing critical health challenges.” – Marco-Felipe King, Network co-lead.