An illustrated lesson in the bodily benefits of green design

Besides serving as a balm to one’s conscience, sustainable design usually is celebrated as a low-impact activity for one’s wallet, too: With the rising cost of traditional fossil fuels, sunshine, windpower, and the Earth’s constant temperature are free sources of energy just begging to be tapped. But going green has a third advantage that will make you feel best. Different elements of sustainable building positively impact your health, and here we (quite literally) draw links between different Riverhouse features and the physical systems that will thank you for the extra care.

1. Sweat Glands: Integrated window blinds block out unwanted sunlight, reducing the need for air-conditioning and keeping perspiration at bay.
2. Skin: Double and triple glazing creates a cushion of insulating air between home and the outdoors, protecting you from heat and cold. Preventing temperature extremes on the skin’s surface avoids other stresses on, for example, blood pressure or hypothalamus activity.
3. Mood: Three layers of glass on many walls block inclement weather, but not the views. And with Riverhouse’s excellent orientation to daylight, residents can beat seasonal affective disorder and set the biological clock that regulates sleep—a win for both the nervous and endocrine systems.
4. Lungs: Local building materials require fewer rips to the gasp pump, preventing vehicle emissions. And low-VOC materials and finishes means that off-gases won’t invade your lungs.
5. Hair, skin, lungs: Filtered air and water ensure you’ll be breathing drinking, and cleaning easy, and minimize burden on your body’s natural filters, such as hair and skin. After a few days in Riverhouse, your coif will feel cleaner and your pores peppier.
6. Nervous and digestive system: New York City’s water is already renowned for its good taste and safety, but Riverhouse’s filters offer an extra layer of defense that improves freshness. And by choosing tap over bottled. you’re just saying no to plastic bottles and the potential backaches of grocery-store lugging.
7. Immune System: Low-emissions paints and adhesives minimize the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that trigger allergies.
8. Muscular and cardiovascular systems: You can never get too much exercise walking to and from nearby mass-transit stops, or through the 16 parks that surround Riverhouse.