ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the complexity of the building/occupant organism, which describes the individuals and groups, as well as the environments that shape, constrain, facilitate, or hamper the intended behaviors of the individuals and organizations occupying them. This environment includes both the physical structure and the social/cultural environment, which include the numerous organizational cultural norms as well as those of the larger encompassing communities. The function of this building/occupant organism has an influence on its performance, which in turn has an impact on the health, wellbeing, and productivity of the building occupants. Using ionization technology as an example, this chapter explains why it is critical to consider our evolutionary history when designing the built environment, with a focus on evolutionary mismatches, to demonstrate how the insides of our contemporary environments could better mimic the outside of our evolutionary past.
