Maybe the headaches go away when you leave the house. Maybe you just moved near a cell tower and want to know what the meter should say. Maybe the new flooring smells wrong and nobody can tell you whether it matters.
hbelc.org is an independent educational resource covering building biology, EMF assessment, indoor air quality, and healthy building practices. We publish measurement-based guides, explain the standards that building biology professionals use worldwide, and help people make informed decisions about their indoor environments.
We do not sell products. We do not run affiliate links. We are not affiliated with the Building Biology Institute (BBI), any certification body, product manufacturer, or testing laboratory. Everything on this site is free to read, and it exists for one reason: to give homeowners and professionals accurate, practical guidance on the things that affect health inside buildings.
History of This Domain
hbelc.org was previously the website for the Institute for Bau-Biologie & Ecology (IBE), a nonprofit educational organisation founded by Helmut Ziehe in 1987. Ziehe, a German-born architect, brought the principles of Baubiologie to North America after studying under Prof. Dr. Anton Schneider at the Institut fur Baubiologie + Okologie IBN in Germany. Over two decades, IBE trained thousands of students and certified building biology consultants across North America through this site.
When IBE rebranded as the Building Biology Institute and moved to buildingbiologyinstitute.org, this domain became available. It has been rebuilt as an independent resource. We continue the educational mission that defined the original site, but we operate independently, no organisational ties, no course enrolment, no certification programme.
What We Cover
The site follows the core concerns that building biology addresses.
Electromagnetic fields. AC electric fields from house wiring, AC magnetic fields from current flow, radiofrequency radiation from wireless devices and infrastructure, and dirty electricity on power lines. Our EMF assessment guide walks through measurement methods for each type, and individual guides cover specific sources like smart meters, Wi-Fi routers, and bedroom wiring.
Indoor air quality. Formaldehyde from engineered wood products, volatile organic compounds from paints and finishes, mold in hidden cavities, radon from soil, and particulate matter from combustion. We cover both DIY and professional testing methods, reference EPA and WHO guidelines alongside building biology standards, and focus on practical remediation ranked by cost and effort.
Building materials. Which materials contribute to healthy indoor environments and which undermine them. Insulation, flooring, paint, cabinetry, plaster, we look at specific product categories and alternatives, with honest cost comparisons. The 25 Principles of Building Biology provide the framework connecting material choices to the larger goal of buildings that support biological health.
Standards and measurement. The SBM-2008 standard (Standard der Baubiologischen Messtechnik) is the reference document for professional building biology assessment worldwide. It sets precautionary threshold values across every category of environmental stress, using a four-tier system from "No Concern" to "Extreme Concern." We publish the first searchable HTML version of this standard, with practical guidance on interpreting results.
Finding professional help. Self-assessment works for many situations, but some problems, tracing magnetic field sources, measuring RF with professional-grade instruments, identifying mold in wall cavities, require trained consultants with specialised equipment. Our guide to finding a building biologist covers credentials, what to expect from an assessment, and typical costs.
Who This Site Is For
We write primarily for homeowners and parents who have a specific concern about their home. Maybe headaches that disappear when they leave the house. Maybe a child's bedroom near an electrical panel. Maybe new flooring that smells wrong. They want to know: is this a real problem? How do I measure it? What do the numbers mean? What can I do?
We also write for health-conscious builders and renovation professionals who want to understand building biology principles, and for practitioners, certified building biologists, environmental consultants, home inspectors, who want a reliable reference they can share with clients.
What these readers share: they distrust both sides of the usual debate. They're not reassured by industry claims that everything meets regulations and is therefore safe. But they're not interested in conspiracy-driven fearmongering either. They want measured data and clear next steps.
Our Editorial Approach
Building biology sits in a space where strong opinions are common and solid evidence is sometimes limited. A few principles keep us honest.
Measurement before opinion. Every claim about EMF levels, air quality, or material safety should be grounded in something measurable. We reference the SBM-2008 standard, EPA guidelines, and WHO publications, the most credible attempts to set thresholds from available evidence. When we recommend action, we explain the measurement behind it.
Honesty about uncertainty. The health effects of chronic low-level EMF exposure are debated in the scientific literature. We say so. The mechanisms by which some building materials affect occupants are not fully understood. We say that too. Where the precautionary principle is the basis for a recommendation, rather than established dose-response data, we make that distinction clear.
Practical, not alarmist. A magnetic field reading of 3 mG in a bedroom is classified as "slight concern" under the SBM-2008 standard. That's worth addressing. It is not an emergency. We aim for the tone of a building biologist reviewing your test results, calm, specific, focused on what you can actually do.
No commercial bias. We recommend categories of products and approaches, not specific brands we profit from. When we discuss meters, materials, or remediation methods, recommendations are based on what works. There are no sponsored posts, no paid placements, and no affiliate arrangements on this site.
What We Are Not
We are not a certification body. We do not train or certify building biologists, that is the role of the Building Biology Institute and similar organisations.
We are not a medical resource. Building biology intersects with health, but we do not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatments, or make health claims. When we discuss health research, we report what the studies found and what their limitations are.
We are not a product review site. We discuss categories of tools and materials, explain what specifications matter, and describe what professionals use. We do not publish rankings designed to drive purchases.
Further Reading
If you're new to building biology, these pages are good starting points:
- What Is Building Biology?. An introduction to the field, its German origins, and how it's practised today.
- The SBM-2008 Standard. The measurement standard that defines building biology assessment, with every threshold table and practical interpretation guidance.
- 25 Principles of Building Biology. The foundational design and construction principles of Baubiologie.
- Building Biology FAQ. Answers to the most common questions about EMF, air quality, testing, and remediation.
- Find a Building Biologist. How to locate a qualified consultant and what an assessment involves.
If something in your home does not feel right, this site helps you figure out whether the concern is founded, how to measure it, and what to do next.