Past pandemics have spurred major advancements in how we construct buildings and design communities to keep people safe. You cannot ensure the safety of the public without improving the physical environment they inhabit.

But buildings and health go beyond the pandemic. Research shows that better indoor air quality, access to daylight, and choice of materials all improve the health and well-being of people who use buildings.

As the nation looks to the day when people can return to offices, malls, schools and houses of worship, the federal government can play a role in making buildings after by investing in research into building technologies and techniques that keep people safe.