Wood is good for your health! (RTBF actu)

Buildwise, the Belgian construction sector's innovation centre, recently conducted air quality analyses inside the building that houses the Eco-construction Cluster in Namur. The results of the pollutant concentration tests demonstrate the excellent air quality inside this building, which is constructed from wood and straw. Healthy air in a healthy building!

Air samples were taken in June 2025 in three different areas of the building, before the occupants arrived and the ventilation system was started up. The aim was to determine the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and highly volatile compounds. In office interiors, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and benzene are the pollutants generally sought.

The results of this study at the Eco-construction Cluster headquarters demonstrate the excellent air quality inside the bio-based building. VOC concentrations were found to be well below the relevant standards. ‘In terms of public health, it is essential that the design of our living spaces takes indoor air quality into account as a parameter for ensuring the comfort and health of occupants,’ according to Anne-Michèle Janssen, director of the Eco-construction Cluster. This study therefore confirms that it is possible to construct low-carbon buildings using bio-based materials, thereby helping to improve the health of occupants and construction workers.

For more information,

you can read the Eco-construction Cluster press release

or visit the RTBF actu website, where an article has been published featuring an interview with Olivier Pierre, spokesperson for the Eco-construction Cluster.