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Healthy Building Materials Essentials™

“Clear guidance for healthier material decisions. No greenwashing. No guesswork.

A practical, science-based course for builders, architects, designers, and interior designers who want a clear understanding of how common building materials influence indoor air quality, occupant health, and building performance over time.

You’ll learn to recognise key chemical hazards, understand where and how exposure occurs, and use the Building Biology Rating Tool as an entry-level framework to assess materials, interpret disclosures, and make sensible, defensible specification decisions in real projects.

Designed as a foundational pathway into healthier specification and risk-aware building practice.

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Healthy Building Materials Essentials™

A focused, science-based foundations course for architects, designers, and builders who want a clearer understanding of material health risk in buildings.

Introduces core Building Biology principles alongside building science to explain how materials influence exposure, indoor air quality, and occupant health.

Builds awareness of key toxin groups commonly found in building products and where they appear in real projects.

Builds understanding of the Building Biology Rating Tool so professionals can interpret material health discussions and ratings with greater confidence.

Helps professionals recognise red flags, question product claims, and understand the limits of common disclosure tools.

Supports more informed, proportionate material decisions without requiring full certification or specialist training.

Designed as a practical stepping stone toward more advanced healthy building practice.

Course Audience: Builders, Architects, Building Designers & Interior Designers

Healthy Building Materials Essentials™ is designed for builders, architects, building designers and interior designers who want a clearer understanding of material health and chemical risk in the built environment.

The course is suited to professionals who are increasingly exposed to questions around indoor air quality, product toxicity, and health claims, and want a structured, evidence-based way to make sense of those issues without taking on specialist roles.

HBME supports informed conversations, better questioning, and more confident collaboration with consultants, suppliers, and clients around healthier material choices.

This program is designed for building and design professionals who:

  • Want a clearer understanding of how material and system choices influence moisture risk, indoor air quality, and long-term building health.
  • Are increasingly asked questions by clients, colleagues, or suppliers about toxins, VOCs, mould, and “healthy materials” and want evidence-based answers rather than assumptions.
  • Care about occupant wellbeing, particularly in homes, schools, and workplaces, but want to avoid fear-driven narratives or wellness trends.
  • Want to make sense of chemical exposure, material claims, and disclosure documents without needing to become a specialist or certification-holder.

This program is perfect for builders who:

  • Want to confidently avoid materials that cause mould, moisture failures, and callbacks.
  • Care about protecting clients, especially families with kids, allergies, asthma, or chemical sensitivities.
  • Want to future-proof their business by understanding the rise of healthier materials, transparency, and client expectations.
  • Are tired of guesswork and want clear, practical guidance based on building science, not trends.
  • Want to stand out from competitors by offering health-first building practices as part of their services.
  • Prefer straightforward, actionable training that simplifies complex concepts into checklists, site practices, and real-world examples.
  • Want to reduce project risk by understanding the impacts of moisture, VOCs, poor ventilation, and product choices before they become expensive issues.
  • Want to get reliable information that isn’t sponsored by product companies or greenwashing campaigns.
  • Prefer structured, practical education that explains why materials matter and where risk tends to concentrate, rather than product promotion or generic sustainability advice.
  • Are tired of greenwashing and want independent, science-informed context to support better conversations and more confident collaboration.
  • Want to stay ahead of rising expectations around material transparency and health without overstepping professional scope or liability.
  • Want a shared, credible language to discuss material health with consultants, suppliers, and clients, without being expected to provide specialist advice or guarantees.

This course is for professionals who value clarity, proportionate decision-making, and informed judgement, and who recognise that healthier buildings begin with understanding, not assumptions. 

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Understanding Where Health Risk Emerges in Buildings


1. Common building issues with health implications

Many building projects experience issues related to moisture, ventilation, and material performance. These issues often become visible after handover, through condensation, mould, odours, or premature material wear.

For many professionals, the challenge is not intent, but limited visibility into how everyday material and system choices can influence indoor conditions over time, particularly when decisions are made in isolation or under time pressure.

2. Mixed messages around “healthy”, “eco”, and “low-VOC” materials

Product information related to material health is often inconsistent, incomplete, or difficult to interpret. Terms such as “healthy”, “non-toxic”, “eco”, and “low-VOC” are widely used, but rarely defined in a consistent or comparable way.

This can make it difficult to:

  • Understand what different claims are actually referring to

  • Distinguish marketing language from meaningful health-related information

  • Compare products using publicly available data

  • Know which questions to ask suppliers or consultants

As a result, material choices are often made with limited context rather than clear understanding.

3. Growing interest in health without shared reference points

Clients are increasingly exposed to information about indoor air quality, chemicals, mould, and “toxic” materials, and are bringing these concerns into project conversations.

Without shared reference points or a common vocabulary, professionals may find these discussions difficult to navigate. Responses can vary widely between projects, teams, and consultants, even when the underlying concerns are similar.

HBME addresses this gap by helping professionals understand the landscape of health-related material issues, so conversations can be more informed, consistent, and grounded in evidence rather than assumption.

The Hidden Challenges Holding Builders Back


1. Costly Callbacks from Moisture, Mould, or Ventilation Failures

Builders are under constant pressure to deliver fast but rushed sequencing, poor ventilation strategies, or incompatible materials can lead to condensation, mould, swelling, and warranty claims.

They want clear guidance on what to use, what to avoid, and how to prevent problems before they become expensive defects.

2. Confusion About “Healthy”, “Eco”, and “Low-VOC” Products

The market is full of greenwashed products, misleading labels, and vague claims. Builders often don’t know:

  • Which materials actually matter
  • What’s safe for families
  • Whether low-VOC really means healthy
  • How to choose alternatives that won’t blow the budget

They need a trusted framework that simplifies materials into clear, practical choices.

3. Clients Asking for Healthier Homes, but No Clear Guidance on How to Deliver

More clients especially families, allergy sufferers, and eco-conscious homeowners are asking about:

  • VOCs
  • mould prevention
  • “non-toxic” options
  • EMF reduction
  • healthier paints, flooring, cabinets

Builders feel the pressure to provide answers, but most have never been trained in this area.

Understand More. Question Better. Navigate Material Health with Clarity.

1. Build confidence in understanding material health and risk

HBME helps professionals develop a clearer understanding of how common building materials, finishes, and systems can influence indoor air quality and health over time.

Rather than prescribing solutions, the course focuses on building awareness of where health-related concerns commonly arise, how they are discussed in industry, and which claims or assumptions deserve closer scrutiny.

This supports more informed thinking and reduces reliance on guesswork, marketing language, or oversimplified “healthy material” narratives.

2. Make sense of health-related questions without overstepping scope

Clients, suppliers, and colleagues are increasingly raising questions about VOCs, mould, chemical exposure, EMFs, and “non-toxic” materials.

HBME equips professionals with the context and language needed to engage in these conversations confidently. Participants learn how to interpret common terms, understand what different disclosures do and do not indicate, and recognise when specialist input is required.

This enables clearer communication and more appropriate collaboration, without taking on responsibility for specification, diagnosis, or performance outcomes.

3. Develop a shared reference point for material health

Participants leave with a structured understanding of how material health is evaluated within Building Biology and related disciplines, including the purpose and limits of commonly referenced tools and frameworks.

This shared reference point helps align discussions across teams and projects, supporting more consistent expectations and reducing confusion around “healthy”, “eco”, or “low-VOC” claims.

HBME provides orientation and insight. It does not provide certification, implementation authority, or project-level decision frameworks.

Build Smarter. Build Healthier. Build With Confidence.

1. Build With Confidence and Reduce Costly Defects

After completing the CHBP program, builders will be able to identify and avoid materials and construction sequences that lead to moisture failures, mould, and poor indoor air quality.

They’ll confidently choose products and practices that prevent callbacks, protect their reputation, and keep jobs running smoothly.

Builders are under constant pressure to deliver fast but rushed sequencing, poor ventilation strategies, or incompatible materials can lead to condensation, mould, swelling, and warranty claims.

They want clear guidance on what to use, what to avoid, and how to prevent problems before they become expensive defects.

2. Offer Health-First Building as a Competitive Advantage

Graduates will know how to specify healthier materials, avoid common toxins, and implement best-practice ventilation and moisture control strategies.

They’ll stand out in the marketplace, attract health-conscious clients, and confidently respond to questions about VOCs, mould, EMFs, and “non-toxic” options — something most builders can’t do.

3. Integrate a Proven, Practical System into Every Build

Students will walk away with a clear framework and ready-to-use checklists, enabling them to streamline decisions on paints, glues, insulation, flooring, membranes, and more.

They’ll be able to apply a consistent, science-backed process on every project, saving time, reducing uncertainty, and improving build quality from start to finish.

How One Builder Gained Clarity Around Health and Materials


When Simon first encountered the growing focus on “healthy materials,” he felt stuck in the middle. Clients were asking better questions. Suppliers were making bigger claims. And online advice ranged from overly simplistic to alarmist.

Simon wasn’t trying to overhaul how he built. He wanted to understand what actually mattered, what didn’t, and how to respond without guessing or overcommitting. Terms like VOCs, chemical emissions, and “non-toxic finishes” were appearing in conversations more often, but rarely with clear or consistent explanations.

Through Healthy Building Materials Essentials, Simon didn’t learn a new system or process. Instead, he gained context. He learned how common material health issues are discussed in the industry, where product claims tend to overreach, and how to spot the difference between meaningful information and marketing language.

What changed most was how he handled conversations. Simon became more comfortable explaining material-related concerns in plain language, asking more precise questions of suppliers, and setting clearer expectations with clients. He knew when a concern was worth flagging, when it needed specialist input, and when it was unlikely to be relevant.

Simon describes the shift as relief rather than transformation. He didn’t add new responsibilities to his role, but he stopped feeling exposed when health questions came up. HBME gave him a clearer reference point and the confidence to stay in his lane while still engaging intelligently in health-related discussions.

What's Included

Foundational Learning Portall


Short, structured lessons introducing how material health is understood in building biology and related disciplines.

Topics include:

  • How materials influence indoor air quality and exposure

  • Common chemical groups found in building products

  • What “low-VOC”, “non-toxic”, and “eco” claims actually mean

  • Where material health questions typically arise in projects 

Designed for clarity and context, not implementation.

Material Health Literacy Guides


Downloadable reference materials to support understanding, including:

  • Plain-language explanations of common chemical hazards

  • Guidance on reading labels and disclosure documents

  • Red-flag terms and claims to question

  • Limits of popular certifications and marketing claims

These resources support informed conversations, not product approval or specification.

Understanding the Building Biology Rating Tool


An overview of how building biologists evaluate material health, including: 

  • What the BBRT is designed to do

  • How ratings are interpreted

  • Where its boundaries sit

  • Why specialist training is required for application 

This section builds literacy and respect for scope, not independent use.

Case Examples & Industry Context


Real-world scenarios showing: 

 

  • How material health questions commonly arise

  • Where confusion or misinterpretation occurs

  • How professionals can respond appropriately

  • When to involve specialists 

Focused on orientation and judgement, not workflows or checklists.

Guest Expert Masterclasses


Training sessions with leaders in:

  • Building science

  • Indoor air quality

  • Electromagnetic exposure and mitigation

  • Healthy design, material assessment, and transparency

These sessions provide curated insight into specialist perspectives on material health that are not typically addressed in standard professional education.

Private Private Professional Community


A moderated space for participants to:

  • Ask informed, project-specific questions

  • Workshop decisions and approaches

  • Share insights and lessons learned

  • Learn from peers navigating similar challenges

A professional community for those committed to thoughtful, health-informed building and design practice.

Clear Pathway Forward


Guidance on:

  • What HBME does and does not cover

  • When further training or certification may be appropriate

  • How HBME fits within a broader healthy building education pathway

What are my students saying...

“Before this course, ‘healthy materials’ felt vague and a bit overhyped. HBME helped me understand what actually matters and what doesn’t. It turned a noisy topic into something grounded and rational.””

Residential Builder

“I finally understand what terms like VOCs, ‘non-toxic’, and product disclosures are really saying. I don’t feel like I’m guessing anymore when clients raise health questions.”

Building Designer

“No one had ever explained material health in a way that respected professional boundaries. HBME gave me the language and context to have better conversations without feeling like I had to be the expert.”

Simon, Licensed Builder

Healthy Building Materials Essential Course Modules

MODULE 1 - Foundations Building Biology, Materials & Health

Outcome:
Participants understand the purpose, structure, and expectations of the program. They gain a clear foundation in the origins of Building Biology and exposure science, and can explain why human health must be a primary driver of design, material selection, and construction decisions.

 

MODULE 2 - Materials, Health & Risk

Outcome:
Participants can identify and assess material-related health risks and understand how materials contribute to indoor pollution over time. They are able to evaluate products and systems using exposure and risk-based thinking, and make informed material selections that reduce occupant exposure and support healthier indoor environments across different project types.

MODULE 3 - Structure & Sub Structure Materials

Outcome:
Participants understand how structural and sub-structure material choices influence moisture behaviour, emissions, durability, and long-term health risk. They can identify common structural material hazards, assess risk at slab, footing, framing, and subfloor level, and make informed selection and detailing decisions that reduce moisture accumulation, chemical exposure, and hidden building failures from the ground up.

 

MODULE 4: Control Layers & the Building Envelope

Outcome:
Participants understand how the building envelope and its control layers manage water, air, vapour, and heat. They can identify where control layer failures commonly occur, assess risk at junctions and penetrations, and make informed design and detailing decisions that improve durability, moisture control, energy performance, and occupant health.

MODULE 5: Insulation Materials

Outcome:
Participants can identify health, moisture, and fire-related risks associated with common insulation types. They understand how insulation interacts with vapour control, airtightness, and building assemblies, and can select and specify insulation systems that balance thermal performance, compliance, durability, and occupant health without introducing avoidable chemical or moisture risks.

 

MODULE 6: Wall Systems & Claddings

Outcome:
Participants understand how wall systems and cladding choices influence moisture control, drying potential, thermal performance, and long-term durability. They can assess common wall and cladding assemblies for moisture and health risk, identify failure points such as drainage, ventilation gaps, and fixings, and make informed specification and detailing decisions that reduce mould risk, material degradation, and concealed building failures.

MODULE 7: Interior Walls & Ceilings

Outcome:
Participants can identify health and moisture risks associated with interior wall and ceiling systems, including linings, paints, coatings, and acoustic treatments. They are able to specify interior assemblies that minimise VOC emissions, manage moisture in wet and high-use areas, and support indoor air quality, durability, and occupant sensitivity across residential and commercial projects.

 

MODULE 8: Flooring Materials

Outcome:
Participants can identify health, moisture, and durability risks associated with common flooring types and installation methods. They are able to assess subfloor conditions, emissions, adhesives, and maintenance requirements, and specify flooring systems that minimise VOC exposure, manage moisture effectively, and support long-term indoor air quality and occupant sensitivity across residential and commercial projects.

MODULE 9: Paints, Renders & Surface Finishes

Outcome:
Participants can evaluate paints, renders, and surface finishes for health, moisture, and durability performance. They understand how binders, additives, and application systems affect emissions, vapour permeability, and drying, and can specify finishes that reduce VOC exposure, support moisture management, and maintain long-term indoor air quality and surface performance.

 

MODULE 10: Joinery, Fixtures & Fitout

Outcome:
Participants can identify health, emission, and moisture risks associated with joinery, fixtures, and fitout elements. They understand how material selection, adhesives, finishes, and installation sequencing affect airtightness, vapour behaviour, and long-term durability, and can specify fitout solutions that avoid hidden mould traps, reduce chemical exposure, and perform reliably in real buildings.

MODULE 11: Windows, Roofs & Water Interfaces

Outcome:
Participants understand how site conditions and natural forces influence building health and comfort. They can integrate passive solar orientation, ventilation patterns, site-specific risks, and EMF zoning into early design decisions, and apply this understanding to create buildings that work with the site rather than against it, improving comfort, resilience, and long-term health outcomes.

 

MODULE 12: Using Materials Knowledge Responsibly

Outcome:
Participants can apply materials knowledge responsibly and defensibly across the full building lifecycle. They are able to evaluate material choices through a long-term health lens, assess durability, emissions, maintenance, and end-of-life impacts, and make precaution-led, evidence-based decisions that balance health, performance, and professional accountability.

Modules

From Crisis to Calling – Why Building Biology Was Born

Outcome:
Get grounded in the program vision, structure, and expectations. Set your intention for leading with health. Understand the origins of Building Biology, exposure science, and why human health must shape the way we design and build.

Moisture, Mould & Building Failures

Outcome:
Learn why moisture is one of the biggest threats to building health. Understand how moisture moves through building assemblies and gain the skills to design, detail, and sequence in ways that prevent mould and structural failures.

Understanding Healthy Indoor Air

Outcome:
Discover how to create breathable, low-pollution indoor environments through ventilation, air exchange, filtration, and air quality strategies. Know how to evaluate systems and make healthier choices for every project.

Healthy Materials, The Material Navigator™ & The Building Biology Rating Tool

Outcome:
Gain practical criteria, tools, and checklists to assess, compare, and confidently specify healthier materials using a science-based selection framework. Learn to identify red flags, decode labels, and make informed product decisions.

Hazards in the Home – Toxins, Allergens & Chemicals of Concern

Outcome:
Uncover hidden risks in standard building materials from VOCs to flame retardants to allergens. Learn how to avoid them through smarter substitutions, compliant alternatives, and healthier product pathways.

EMFs, Wiring & Healthy Lighting Design

Outcome:
Design lower-EMF homes using thoughtful wiring layouts, zoning, shielding strategies, and lighting that supports circadian biology. Know how to respond confidently when clients ask about EMF-safe design.

Healthy Interior Materials – Floors, Walls, Furniture & Fixtures

Outcome:
Choose safe, durable interior materials with performance in mind: moisture management, emissions, cleaning behaviour, and occupant sensitivity. Understand where risks hide and how to specify healthier alternatives.

Toxin-Free Joinery – Cabinets, Benchtops & Built-Ins

Outcome:
Identify joinery-specific health risks such as formaldehyde, adhesives, sealants, and finishes. Learn how to specify safe, durable materials for cabinetry, benchtops, wardrobes, and other built-in elements.

Moisture-Resilient Design – Wet Areas & Mould Prevention

Outcome:
Build healthier bathrooms and laundries using smarter detailing, compatible materials, drainage strategies, and drying-focused design principles that stop mould before it starts.

Moisture Detailing & Construction Sequencing

Outcome:
Bridge the design–build gap by understanding airtightness, drying potential, vapour behaviour, and sequencing. Learn how to avoid hidden mould traps caused by poor timing or incompatible materials.

Site Influence, Geobiology & Passive Design Principles

Outcome:
Design in alignment with the site from passive solar orientation and ventilation patterns to earth energies and EMF zoning. Understand how natural forces influence building health and comfort.

Lifecycle Thinking & Circular Materials

Outcome:
Evaluate material selection as a long-term health decision, examining how durability, emissions, maintenance, and end-of-life impact. Learn to question circular material claims and make precaution-led, health-first choices without compromising performance.

Capstone Project & Certification

Outcome:
Demonstrate your skills in a real-world project application. Submit your assessment for certification and gain eligibility to be listed as a Certified Healthy Building Professional (CHBP) practitioner.

What's My Investment

EXTRA BONUSES INCLUDED

One Time Payment

AUD $1,497

(inc GST)

Includes:

  • Full access to the Healthy Building Materials Essentials™ course

  • Structured lessons focused on material health understanding and context

  • Clear explanations of common chemical groups and exposure concepts

  • Guidance on interpreting labels, claims, and disclosure documents

  • The Certified Healthy Building Kit™

  • Context on how material health is assessed within Building Biology

  • Case examples showing how health-related material questions arise in practice

  • Communication templates to support clearer conversations with:

    • Trades and suppliers around material health expectations

    • Clients asking about “healthy”, “non-toxic”, or low-VOC materials

  • Reference lists of commonly used healthier material suppliers and product categories, provided for awareness and further enquiry, not endorsement or specification
  • Construction and material consideration checklists designed to:

    • Support discussion and coordination

    • Highlight common points of confusion or risk

    • Prompt appropriate questions at different stages

These resources are intended to support communication, understanding, and consistency, not to replace specialist advice or project-specific decision-making.

Designed For:

Building and design professionals who want:

  • Clearer language around material health

  • More confident conversations with clients and trades

  • Evidence-informed context without taking on specialist or certification-level responsibility

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Your Exclusive Bonuses: Included With Enrolment

Bonus 1

Bonus 1: Healthy Materials Reference Guide

A curated reference guide outlining commonly used lower-risk material categories and supplier types across paints, adhesives, membranes, insulation, flooring, joinery, and sealants.

This guide is designed to support awareness and informed questioning, not product approval or specification.

Bonus 2

Client Education Resource Pack

Professionally designed PDFs that help explain material health concepts to clients in clear, non-alarmist language, including VOCs, moisture, mould, EMFs, and health-conscious material choices.

Bonus 3

Project & Site Briefing Scripts

Short, practical communication prompts to support clearer conversations with trades such as carpenters, waterproofers, electricians, painters, tilers, and plumbers.

These prompts are designed to clarify intent and reduce miscommunication around material handling and expectations, not to replace site supervision or technical instruction.

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14-Day Risk-Free Access (HBME)

Enrol in Healthy Building Materials Essentials™ and explore the course content, reference materials, and communication resources at your own pace.

If, within 14 days, you decide the course isn’t the right fit, simply email us and your enrolment fee will be refunded in full.
No justification required.


HBME Confidence Commitment

Healthy Building Materials Essentials™ is designed to build clarity and understanding around material health, chemical exposure, and common industry claims.

If, after engaging with the course, you don’t feel clearer about how to interpret material health information, navigate client and trade conversations, or understand when specialist input may be required, contact us and we’ll help clarify the relevant content.

If the course is still not meeting your expectations, your enrolment will be refunded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Annie Scog is a Certified Building Biologist, Passive House Designer, and the founder of Healthy Home Expert™, an education and consulting practice dedicated to helping the building industry create safer, healthier, high-performance homes.


With specialist training in Building Biology, moisture and mould assessment, indoor air quality, VOCs and chemical emissions, electromagnetic exposure, and material toxicity, Annie brings a rare combination of scientific grounding, construction literacy, and real-world project experience.

Before creating Healthy Building Materials Essentials™, Annie spent years fielding the same questions from homeowners, architects, designers, and builders. Projects that looked compliant on paper were still experiencing moisture issues. Product advice around “eco”, “non-toxic”, and “low-VOC” materials was inconsistent or contradictory. Clients were increasingly concerned about chemical exposure, while professionals were left sorting through marketing claims with little reliable context.

What became clear was that many of these challenges were not caused by poor intent or lack of skill, but by a gap in shared understanding. Material health concepts were either oversimplified, overly technical, or framed through product promotion rather than evidence.

HBME was developed to address that gap. The course focuses on helping professionals understand how material health is discussed, where common misconceptions arise, how exposure concepts are framed in building science and Building Biology, and how to interpret information without needing specialist training. It provides context, language, and clarity so professionals can engage more confidently in health-related conversations and recognise when deeper expertise is required.

 

 

Annie’s approach is known for translating complex science into practical, decision-ready guidance that can be applied across design, specification, and delivery. The emphasis is not on perfection, fear, or trends, but on clearer judgement, proportionate response, and professional responsibility.

Her work is grounded in internationally recognised research and best practice, drawing on the 25 Building Biology Principles, exposure science, building physics, and contemporary material transparency standards. Annie has trained with the Building Biology Institute (USA), the Australian College of Environmental Studies, and the Institut für Baubiologie (Germany), and contributes to broader industry efforts advocating for healthier materials and greater transparency.

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