Your Home Is Always Breathing. The Question Is: What Is It Breathing?
One of the questions we get asked most often is: “Do you build with low-VOC materials?”
The short answer is yes.
Whenever Scott and I have control over the materials that go into one of our homes, we intentionally choose products that reduce unnecessary chemical emissions. Zero-VOC interior paint. Concrete floors instead of large expanses of synthetic flooring. Induction cooking rather than burning natural gas indoors. Durable materials that are designed to last.
But over the years I’ve realized something important.
The healthiest home isn’t the one that eliminates every source of VOCs.
It’s the one that’s designed to manage them.
That’s an important distinction because the reality is that VOCs—volatile organic compounds—are everywhere. They’re released from new furniture, area rugs, mattresses, cabinets, clothing, cleaning products, candles, air fresheners, hobby supplies, and even the cardboard boxes that arrive on your porch.
In fact, the WELL Building Standard notes that indoor VOC concentrations can be up to five times higher than outdoor levels because of the many products we bring into our homes. (Standard Well Certified)
So no, we don’t promise a completely VOC-free home.
No one honestly can.
Instead, we design homes that continuously remove indoor pollutants rather than allowing them to build up.
That’s where the Energy Recovery Ventilator—our ERV—comes in.
I often tell people to think of it as the lungs of the home.
Just as your lungs constantly exchange stale air for fresh oxygen, an ERV quietly brings filtered outdoor air into the home while exhausting stale indoor air. It operates continuously, helping dilute indoor pollutants while recovering much of the heating or cooling energy that would otherwise be lost through ventilation. Good ventilation isn’t just about comfort—it helps prevent contaminants from accumulating when a home is tightly built. (U.S. Green Building Council)
That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about high-performance homes.
People hear the words “airtight construction” and imagine stale air trapped inside.
The opposite should be true.
A well-designed high-performance home isn’t sealed and forgotten.
It’s carefully sealed and intentionally ventilated. Instead of relying on opening windows to exchange air, we decide exactly where fresh air comes from, how it’s filtered, and where stale air leaves the house.
That’s building science working for your family every hour of every day.
Another reason we focus on indoor air quality is because most of us spend about 90% of our lives indoors. If our homes are where we sleep, recover, cook, work, and raise our families, then the quality of that environment matters.
The U.S. Green Building Council emphasizes that selecting low-emitting materials and providing proper ventilation are complementary strategies—not competing ones. Healthy indoor environments depend on both reducing pollutant sources and providing adequate fresh air. (U.S. Green Building Council)
As builders, we can control the first part.
As homeowners, you influence the second.
A few simple ways to keep your home’s air healthier
Let new furniture or rugs off-gas in a garage or covered outdoor space for a few days when practical before bringing them inside.
Choose low-VOC or fragrance-free cleaning products whenever possible.
Skip heavily scented candles and plug-in air fresheners, which can introduce additional chemicals into the air.
Use your kitchen exhaust fan when cooking, especially if you don’t have induction.
Replace your HVAC and ERV filters on schedule so they continue doing their job.
Open the windows on beautiful Vermont days—not because your house needs it, but because fresh mountain air is one of life’s simple pleasures.
The Takeaway:
To us, wellness architecture has never been about chasing perfection.
It’s about making hundreds of thoughtful decisions that quietly improve everyday life.
No single product creates a healthy home.
But when better materials, balanced ventilation, airtight construction, and intentional design work together, your home begins supporting your health in ways you may never notice—but your body certainly will.
Have any thoughts or questions? We’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment below or contact us here.