Designing Buildings that CARE

‘We shape the buildings; thereafter they shape us’. These words speak volumes in the current scenario of an open office workspace, where productivity and efficiency of an employee are predominantly attributed to their ambient physical environment. ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ or SBS refers to a range of symptoms, though diagnosable, that lead to a gradual but permanent weakening of the building user’s health. Poor design of workplace interiors with little or no thought about indoor environmental conditions is often the leading cause of SBS. This paper provides a brief outline of the causes of SBS (with the factors provided sectionally) and highlights design solutions for providing a satisfactory and ‘healthy’ building for the end-users.