The case for building with wood usually starts with carbon. A new report from Dutch studio ORGA architect, funded by Built by Nature, adds a second argument that has had far less attention: what timber and other biobased materials do for the health of the people inside.
A material that works for you
Wood & Wellbeing brings together more than 100 studies and industry reports. It finds that timber and biobased materials such as hemp and straw keep indoor temperatures stable. In one US study, mass timber walls cut the hours of uncomfortable indoor temperatures by 31–46% per day. Exposed wood also regulates humidity on its own, keeping the air close to the healthy 40–60% range with no energy or maintenance needed.
Wood is more hygienic than many people assume. Its porous structure and natural compounds dry out and trap microbes, and in several studies wooden surfaces beat plastic and steel at limiting how long bacteria and viruses survive.
Calmer bodies, sharper minds
Studies measuring heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol keep finding that seeing wood lowers stress and helps people regain focus. People in wooden rooms recover faster from stressful tasks and sleep more deeply. There seems to be a sweet spot: rooms with roughly 45–65% visible wood were rated most comfortable and restful.
The business case
Health-focused homes can command price premiums of 10–25%, and commercial buildings show rental premiums of 4.4–7.7%. In a global survey of 7,600 office workers, people in workplaces with natural elements reported 15% higher wellbeing and 6% higher productivity.
What’s still missing
The authors are open about the limits: many studies are small or lab-based. The next step is long-term research in real, occupied timber buildings. Health also still plays almost no role in building codes and procurement standards, and the authors see a clear role for governments in changing that.
Why it matters
For Climate Cleanup, the report strengthens something we see across the biobased transition. Materials that grow from the land and store carbon for decades can also make healthier places to live, work and heal. In the authors’ words, a building that leaves its occupants “anxious, unfocused, or unwell is not a sustainable building.”
Read the full report: Wood & Wellbeing, ORGA architect (2026), funded by Built by Nature