3. Bau Biology or Building Biology
What is it?
Amalgamation of two words “Building” and “Biology”, which
signifies Biology has something to do with Building.
It is an interdisciplinary domain where biologists, architects
and the environmentalists come together to aestheticise,
green and make sustainable the method and construction of
Houses, treated here as another layer of skin of body.
4. Main Concerns of Bau
Biology
❖ Building materials and processes
❖ Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and
radiation (EMR)
❖ Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
5.
6. The 25 Principles of Bau Biology
5 Broad Categories of the 25 Principles
● Healthy Indoor Air
● Thermal and Acoustic Comfort
● Human-based Design
● Sustainable Environmental Performance
● Socially Connected and Ecologically Sound Community
7. History of Discipline
World War 2 and Reconstruction to rehabilitate the war
victims in Germany.
Rapid and improper time gap in constructions leads to health
issues of residents in 1960s.
Research suggests, the problem arose due to improper
housing and motivated Dr. Anton Schneider to start off with
Bau Biology as a discourse for better housing.
10. Why bau-biology is not just
green building?
Green building deals with reducing our human footprint,
which is detrimental to human standard of living, on the
nature while Bau Biology deals with wellness, which is far
more than absence of disease, a home that truly nurtures
health and well-being is far more than an environment that is
free of toxins.
Bau-biologie is a science-based building study that explains
the benefits of this time-honored way of creating shelter.
11. Case for India
Centre for Building Biology is in Auroville which promotes
this idea.
Due to past Indian Traditions of Vastu Shastra which looked
into the building as an “Purusha” or an organism itself, similar
to idea of Bau biology’s third skin concept, it focussed on
Ventilation, Sun movement and adequate lightning, alignment
with Earth’s magnetic field, etc.
12. India’s Housing Scenario
Basic Housing has been a major concern in India and since Bau Biology appeals
to a certain socio-economic section of the society who have proper space and
knowledge and overall moral liability of the environmental damage, it hasn’t
been popular as expected.
In future, due to Climate Change Conference obligations, India might look for
policy solutions and focus on housing.
The Ujjwala Yojana was undertaken by GoI to reduce Indoor Air Pollution, by
providing LPG gases. Contrasting this with Bau Biology measures, it is long way
before even this idea can have an impact.
13. Bau Biology and Sustainability: References
1. Institute for Building Biology Sustainability IBN. (n.d.). 25 Guiding Principles of Building
Biology. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://buildingbiology.com/principles-of-
baubiologie/
2. Institute for Building Biology Sustainability IBN. (n.d.). About our Institute. Retrieved
April 19, 2019, from https://buildingbiology.com/about-the-institute/
3. Stam, R. (2010). Electromagnetic fields and the blood–brain barrier. Brain Research
Reviews,65(1), 80-97. doi:10.1016/j.brainresrev.2010.06.001
4. Centre for Building Biology. (2018). Building Biology in India. Retrieved April 23, 2019,
from http://www.buildingbiology.in/index.php/blog
