Alice Hagen, owner of Calibre Real Estate and healthy lifestyle advocate talks to us about what she predicts to become an eco-friendly construction trend; Building Biology.
Owning a real estate agency, Justin and Alice Hagen not only work with properties on a daily basis but have built and renovated houses themselves, gaining experience and knowledge along the way. About to build their dream home, Alice is eager to create a healthy environment for her family.
Q: What is “building biology”?
A: Building biology is the concept of investigating living environments for irritants essentially so you can build or occupy healthier homes. Its aim is to extract and limit the amount of chemicals and allergens from the home creating a healthy environment.
Q: And why is this an important factor when building your home?
A: There are more and more studies coming to light regarding wifi usage. Germany outwardly recommends its citizens to use ethernet cabling over wifi in offices and schools. France has banned wifi in schools. All of the latest technological devices seem to be released prior to testing the impact caused to our health. We do not know what the future holds for our health, but being aware of how building materials and electronic magnetic fields can affect our health and where they should be positioned in the house can only be advantageous.
Q: Have you always been a healthy lifestyle advocate?
A: I believe I have had always led a healthy lifestyle, but after the arrival of our third child I started focussing on what we were consuming and using around us. We are a preservative free family and buy organic where possible. We have also eliminated products containing chemicals and plastic, where possible as well. Definitely the purchase of a Thermomix helps with preservative free cooking. I am so passionate about this that we have just donated a Thermomix TM5 to Ashgrove State School tuckshop.
Q: What are some simple tips for those who would like to try eradicating toxins from their homes?
A: Look at the ingredients, look closely at the labels! I have downloaded an app called Chemical Maze which I have started using. We have started using good old fashioned remedies around the house as well. Websites that I visit include
Q: Do you think Building Biology will eventually become a vital component in construction?
A: I feel Australia is very far behind in accepting hazards that surround us, it will definitely should be a part of future building standards to safeguard the health of our present and future generations. Europe is leading by example and we need to follow suit.
