Have you ever wondered what you need to get well at home, school or work?

Each of us knows what our dream home looks like, but also what needs and requirements need to be met to suit our lifestyle. The ideas are many, the information is varied, but all that matters to everyone is that the end result is as expected. In addition to the budget and obtaining documents, the design of the house and the building materials become the most important elements that can create a comfortable, sustainable, aesthetic and economical living environment with low maintenance costs.

Comfort is a combination of factors. The design, the ratio of natural to artificial light, the sound insulation, the materials used to finish the walls, all make for more or less healthy and happy homes. Saint-Gobain Group, a world leader in the field of housing and building materials, offers architects, builders and all those interested, concept Multi Comforta way of designing and constructing buildings centred on today's comfort needs. It is a complex and revolutionary concept that combines five key aspects of comfort - aesthetics, thermal, acoustic, visual comfort and air quality. The Multi Comfort concept talks about the ideal amount of light, the right level of noise, the ideal temperature. It's about design and technology, beauty and safety, efficiency and durability.

Comfort dimensions

Quality of work and performance, health, learning capacity, general well-being, all depend directly on the 5 aspects of comfort - aesthetic, thermal, acoustic, visual, air quality - but above all on the interactions between them. Saint-Gobain has designed the Multi Comfort concept to contribute to a sustainable future for us all. Buildings that meet the Multi Comfort standard consume less energy and resources, and waste and pollution are significantly reduced.

The idea started from the awareness that the functioning of buildings as a whole has a direct impact on our general condition. Even though much of our lives take place indoors - homes, schools, offices, leisure and entertainment spaces, transport - we pay very little attention to their impact on our condition. Buildings need to protect us from noise, noise pollution and weather, but also allow us to live, work and relax in the healthiest and most pleasant environments. Saint-Gobain believes that the feeling of well-being in a building is the perfect amount of light, the right level of sound, air quality and an ideal temperature, the comfort provided by the combination of these elements.

Thermal comfort is very important for our well-being, concentration, dexterity and the occurrence of accidents are influenced by extreme temperatures. We are influenced not only by temperature variations, but also by variations in humidity or air movement, the way we are dressed or the activities we do. Their impact must be minimised to reduce discomfort and function normally. Studies on the relationship between temperature and performance have shown that the latter decreases by 10% at both 30°C and 15°C, compared to the 21-23°C reference range where maximum performance is achieved.

Acoustic comfort means no unwanted noise, being able to do noise-producing activities without disturbing others, and that the sounds heard are of good quality and at an appropriate level. In acoustically balanced environments we are more productive, happier and have fewer health problems. Epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of heart attack for those living near busy streets is about 20% higher than for residents of quieter streets. Another study, published in the UK Journal of Psychology, found a decrease in performance of up to 66% when participants were subjected to various background noises.

Visual comfort is crucial for an optimal sense of well-being. Depending on the activity, we need different amounts of light, with optimal spatial distribution and a good mix of natural and artificial light. The possibility of visual connection with the outside world allows the biological clock to be set and gives an overall appreciation of the interior aesthetic. In hospitals it has been observed that patients in rooms with optimal visual comfort need up to 30% less painkillers, recover faster and return home in a better mental state than others.

Air quality is a very important component of comfort. The fresher the air, the better we feel, the livelier and more alive we feel. Clean air is absolutely necessary to create a healthy environment, reduce the negative impact of carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Proper design combined with adequate ventilation and appropriate building materials are essential to increase air quality in buildings and reduce exposure to pollutants and odours. Studies using groups of children have shown that their attention spans decreased by up to 15% as air ventilation rates decreased.

Saint-Gobain solutions

Saint-Gobain offers solutions for each of these aspects of comfort. They are designed according to the type of building (residential, office, school, healthcare, hotel) and the activity carried out inside. Measurable indicators are used so that the quality of comfort is more than just felt by residents or those who come to such spaces, it can also be demonstrated.

What are the solutions proposed by Saint-Gobain? Here are just a few of them.

• Glazing that blocks or allows solar heat to pass through, achieving the highest level of light transmission, or with maximum thermal insulation capacity (triple glazing),
• Materials with high thermal and sound insulation properties, safe and healthy,
• Products with sound insulation or indoor air purification properties,
• Plastering with the ability to improve thermal comfort,
• Smart membranes for improved airtightness and moisture management or air tightness control,
• Low dust emission screeds and adhesives to improve user comfort during installation.

All these solutions are supported by specific building materials whose impact will be recognised in the quality of life of those who will live, learn or work in the buildings where they are used. Products such as Planistar Sun Plus, ISOVER, Rigips® Fonic or Activ'Air® are just some of them. What do they do? Planistar Sun Plus is a summer-winter comfort glazing that maintains a pleasant atmosphere all year round. Mineral glazing ISOVER Super Profi has an excellent thermal conductivity of 0.032 W/mK, is available in various thicknesses, does not burn, insulates the building and protects it. Rigips® Fonic is a gypsum board with improved acoustic properties, and Activ'Air® Rigips is a revolutionary product that has the ability to improve air quality. The additive core of the panel captures, retains and breaks down formaldehyde present in the air inside the home. Saint-Gobain holds an international patent for this technology which reduces formaldehyde levels in indoor air by up to 70%.

All these products and many more will be covered in detail in future articles.

Multi Comfort Concept

The Multi Comfort concept launched by Saint-Gobain promotes a holistic approach to building. Alongside solutions for the comfort of the inhabitants are measures to prevent energy losses and to cover the remaining needs from renewable sources. To do this, the building must be designed to be energy efficient, minimising energy requirements for heating, cooling and lighting. The energy required will come from renewable sources, delivered by high-efficiency equipment. Last but not least, a Multi Comfort building must be able to produce more energy in the future than it consumes. Unfortunately, household energy consumption is now very high, and some of it is wasted due to inefficient systems or construction. This way of building must change to improve the quality of our lives and those of future generations. Multi Comfort is designed to bring well-being inside buildings and at the same time reduce energy consumption and generate as little pollution and waste as possible.

This change has begun and there are already Multi Comfort certified buildings in the Netherlands, Norway, UK, Italy, even Romania. There are houses, schools, offices, buildings made of massive elements (brick), but especially buildings made of prefabricated wooden elements or CLT.

With this new series of articles, we are taking a look into the modern and sustainable world of building materials, presenting revolutionary concepts and materials and buildings built on these foundations. We'll talk to people who live and work in them to find out how they experience comfort. It's time to understand that the innovations of the future are not just about mobile phones, automation and IT applications. Modern, healthy and sustainable solutions also exist in the building sector, we just need to research and choose the options that contribute to our overall comfort.