ABSTRACT
This chapter considers three such influences and their potential impacts for real property: environmental health, heritage issues and sustainability, in the broad meaning of that word. Environmental health in the built environment includes a range of physical, chemical, biological, social and psychological factors that impact on both physical health and quality of life. In addressing environmental health, good design can in-build a range of passive and active features that encourage good health and increased productivity, liveability and comfort. Heritage can be said to constitute the valuable features of our environment which we seek to conserve from development or decay. It recognises the existence of underlying deep-rooted but undefined values. For privately owned heritage buildings, potential issues arise between public and private interests. As a result of the frequent and pervasive use of the term ‘sustainability’ in contemporary language, the concept has become somewhat cliched and its real meaning and gravity are at risk of becoming eroded.
