Blog

Parents are worried about their children’s overexposure to screens. Aside from health issues, this can also lead to exposure to inappropriate content that can affect children’s mindsets. Let’s take an eco-conscious approach to resolve this problem.

The Treppan Living concept focuses on a healthy, eco-conscious, and wellness-focused way of living. By combining the Treppan Living sustainable concept with strategies to limit mobile usage, families can create a balanced lifestyle that fosters both personal well-being and environmental consciousness. Reducing screen time and reconnecting with nature, while promoting sustainability in everyday life, helps children grow into responsible, eco-conscious individuals. In doing so, they can develop not only a deep respect for the environment but also healthier relationships with technology. This balanced approach ensures that children enjoy the benefits of modern living while maintaining a connection to the natural world, encouraging them to be mindful consumers and responsible stewards of the planet.

Here are a few ways to nurture eco-consciousness in growing children:

Connecting with Nature

Why it’s important: Getting kids outdoors helps them connect with nature, appreciate the environment, and learn the value of taking care of it.

How to do it: Make outdoor time a regular thing. Take them to parks, forests, or even the backyard for activities like hiking, birdwatching, or exploring. Encourage children to touch and feel the natural elements around them. These moments improve their health, boost their mood, and spark a love for the planet.

Mindful Living

Why it’s important: Teaching mindfulness helps kids stay calm, focused, and aware of their emotions.

How to do it: Try simple activities like meditation, yoga, or even deep breathing exercises. These practices can help them handle stress better, improve focus, and feel more grounded.

Gardening and Growing Your Own Food

Why it’s important: Gardening teaches kids about sustainability, patience, and the effort behind growing food.

How to do it: Start a small veggie or herb garden at home or join a community project. Let kids get involved with planting, watering, and harvesting—they’ll love seeing their hard work turn into real food. It will help them understand the efforts that go into growing food and consequently make them more conscious about food waste.

Eco-Friendly Choices

Why it’s important: Learning to reduce waste and consume responsibly helps kids build sustainable habits early on.

How to do it: Show them how to recycle, reuse, and upcycle. Teach them to pick local, eco-friendly products and find creative ways to turn old items into something new.

Sustainable Transportation

Why it’s important: Walking, biking, or using public transport reduces emissions and keeps everyone active.

How to do it: Walk or bike as a family whenever possible, or encourage public transportation for short trips. Make it fun by organizing a family bike ride instead of taking the car.

Saving Energy

Why it’s important: Energy conservation helps reduce your family’s carbon footprint.

How to do it: Teach kids simple habits like turning off lights, unplugging devices, and using natural light during the day. Help them understand the significance of each action. Small changes add up and create lasting awareness about saving energy.

Smart Food Choices

Why it’s important: Eating plant-based and reducing food waste supports both health and sustainability.

How to do it: Cook healthy meals with your kids using local, organic ingredients. Show them how to use leftovers creatively, compost scraps, and plan meals to avoid waste. This activity can also serve as a complementary addition to gardening.

Getting Involved in the Community

Why it’s important: Joining local eco-projects teaches kids about social responsibility and teamwork.

How to do it: Participate in tree planting, clean-ups, or recycling drives as a family. These hands-on experiences help kids see the impact of their efforts while connecting with the community. Encourage them to ask questions about the activities and their impacts.

Choosing Eco-Friendly Toys

Why it’s important: Sustainable toys made from natural materials are safer for kids and better for the planet.

How to do it: Look for toys made of wood, bamboo, or cotton instead of plastic. Encourage creative play. Share how these toys are made—how they come from nature and return to nature. This will nurture a long-term mindset toward consumption in the children.

At Treppan Living, our mission is to foster a healthier, less gadget-dependent environment for younger generations. We aim to achieve this by incorporating thoughtful elements and innovative ideas that encourage balance, creativity, and meaningful connections, both with nature and the people around us.

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a condition that can affect the health of residents in buildings with poor indoor air quality. It is often caused by indoor air pollution and poor ventilation, but it can also be caused by poor design, plumbing problems, or mold growth. The term “sick building syndrome” was coined in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to describe a building-related illness that cannot be diagnosed as another specific disease but has similar symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and nausea. People who work in offices or factories may be affected by SBS because they spend long periods of time indoors without adequate ventilation or sunlight exposure; this can lead to health complications for workers who suffer from chronic conditions like asthma and allergies.

What are the causes of sick building syndrome?

There are many potential causes of sick building syndrome, especially in buildings that are older, lack optimal ventilation, and have poor air circulation. Some major causes of sick building syndrome are:

• Inadequate ventilation
• Poor air quality
• High levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), humidity, and other indoor pollutants
• Poor air circulation and filtration systems
• Poorly maintained HVAC systems

Which Groups of People Are More Affected by Sick Building Syndrome?

• Certain groups of people may be more affected by Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) than others. These include:
• Children may be more susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution because their immune systems are still developing and their lungs are smaller. They also spend more time indoors than adults.
• Elderly people may be more affected by SBS because their immune systems are weaker and they may have pre-existing health conditions that make them more susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution.
• People with respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies, and those with heart disease, may be more affected by SBS because they are more sensitive to indoor air pollution.
• People who spend a lot of time indoors, such as office workers, may be more affected by SBS than those who spend more time outdoors.
• Some people may be more sensitive to certain chemicals that are commonly found in indoor air, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde.
• It’s important to note that not everyone who is exposed to the same conditions will experience the same symptoms, and not everyone who experiences symptoms will be diagnosed with SBS. Also, symptoms of SBS can be caused by a variety of factors, so it is important to identify and eliminate the cause and provide appropriate medical treatment.

Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Breathing difficulties, such as asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) symptoms
• Stress
• Skin irritation, such as rashes and acne, from contact with the building’s materials (such as carpeting, paint, or adhesives) that emit toxic chemicals over time. This can lead to allergic reactions in some people and maybe be severe for others.
• The condition has been linked to asthma attacks in children who reside in sick buildings.

Estimated number of people who suffer from sick building syndrome:

The estimated number of people who suffer from Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is difficult to determine as it can be a difficult condition to diagnose and quantify. However, it is generally believed that SBS affects a significant portion of the population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 30% of new and remodelled buildings worldwide may have indoor air quality problems that result in SBS symptoms. Studies have also found that SBS symptoms are reported by up to 20–30% of building occupants

Mold Contamination:

Mold is a fungus that grows in damp, warm places such as basements and crawlspaces. Mold spores can grow on building materials like wood and paper, as well as pipes, ducts, and HVAC systems. The effects of exposure to molds include allergic reactions such as inflammation and sneezing; eye irritation; coughing; wheezing; chest tightness; skin rashes; nausea or vomiting; muscle aches/headaches (mild); fatigue (moderate). In severe cases—including those involving infants—exposure may lead to respiratory failure or death due to mycotoxins released during the growth cycles of the fungus.

Main Gardens taking essential steps against Sick Building Syndrome:

There are several steps that Fakhruddin developers are taking for the new project Maimoon Gardens to reduce the risk of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in new buildings:

Maimoon Gardens has the advanced air filtration system HEECO2R to eliminate mold growth and prevent sick building syndrome.

The latest air purifying system was designed by NASA to provide the best air quality that protects the residents from sick building syndrome and prioritizes healthy living.

To reduce the risk of sick-building syndrome (SBS) in Maimoon Gardens, non-toxic, low-emitting building materials are being used during construction. This means avoiding materials that are known to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other pollutants. It is estimated that indoor air can contain up to 300 more chemicals compared to outdoor air. By using non-toxic, low-emitting materials, Maimoon Gardens is taking a proactive approach to ensure that the air quality in the homes is of the highest standard and free of harmful pollutants.

Maimoon Smart home technology can help to reduce the risk of sick building syndrome (SBS) by allowing for more efficient control and management of energy consumption. By automating and optimizing the use of HVAC systems, lighting, and other energy-consuming devices, smart homes can help to reduce the number of pollutants and allergens in the air.

The risk of SBS in Maimoon Gardens is reduced by taking these essential steps and making it a healthier and more pleasant place to live.

Sustainability and healthy living are becoming essential for residents in the UAE. However, adopting new sustainable technologies and behaviors can be challenging. This is where behavioral science can play a crucial role.

By understanding the underlying psychological and social factors that influence residents’ behavior, residential buildings can create an environment that supports and encourages sustainable living. One way this can be achieved is by promoting energy-saving habits, such as turning off lights and appliances when not in use and reducing water usage, as well as promoting recycling and waste reduction. To further support sustainable living, residential buildings can create a sustainable environment through incentives such as rewards or monetary incentives that can be used to encourage and reinforce sustainable behaviors.

Behavioral science can be leveraged with residents to test new sustainable tech & find ways to make it stick into their daily lifestyle. Once the behavioral barrier is overcome, the residents will find themselves immersed in the new sustainable way of life. They would not want to go back to.

Behavioral science can help in promoting sustainability and healthy living in residential buildings in several ways:

Understanding Habits:
Mapping people’s routines and habits is the first step in improving sustainability. The study of behavior can point out how sustainability can be practically integrated into daily life. It will also further entail figuring out how these sustainable practices and technologies would be made available and how to integrate sustainable habits into a person’s daily routine. For instance, at Maimoon Gardens, we would work closely on data analytics mapping a homeowner’s lifestyle impacting health, energy consumption, and basic day-to-day needs, which will further assist us to optimize and incentivize the usage of the best sustainable practices within the development. A Maimoon Gardens homeowner would also be able to see their personal analytics to further optimize their personal lifestyle in terms of health benefits and cut back on energy consumption costs.

Nudging: Nudging is a key tool in the behavioral scientist’s toolkit. By using small reminders and prompts, such as posters or signs reminding residents to conserve energy, behavioral science can help residents adopt more sustainable behaviors. Nudging can also be personalized to individual residents, for example, by providing customized feedback on their energy consumption through smart meters or energy usage dashboards. Maimoon Gardens has implemented a unique approach by implementing a leaderboard, which showcases the names of residents who exhibit sustainable behavior. This serves as a source of motivation for others in the community to adopt similar practices, promoting sustainability positively and inclusively.

Social Norms: Social norms can be powerful drivers of behavior. By creating a sense of community and highlighting the positive impact of sustainable behavior, residents may feel more encouraged to adopt sustainable practices. Residential buildings can create this sense of community by organizing events or activities that promote sustainability and healthy living, or by recognizing and celebrating residents who have made significant contributions to sustainability. Maimoon Gardens cultivate this sense of community through the organization of events or activities centered on sustainability and healthy living. Additionally, recognizing and honoring residents who have made notable contributions to sustainability can further encourage the adoption of such practices. 

Incentives: Incentives can also be effective in promoting sustainability. For example, offering rewards for reducing energy consumption can help residents adopt more sustainable behaviors. Residential buildings can offer incentives such as lower utility bills, access to exclusive amenities, or recognition for residents who have made significant contributions to sustainability. Maimoon Gardens has taken a unique approach by offering reward points as incentives for engaging in sustainable activities, such as reducing energy consumption, effective and planned waste management, and participating in sustainable initiatives in the form of incentive points, namely MG Points. These points can be redeemed at the green house coffee shops, health club amenities, EV charging usage points, etc., providing residents with tangible benefits for their sustainable behavior.

Design: Design can be important in promoting sustainability and healthy living. By incorporating sustainable design principles into residential buildings, residents may be more likely to adopt sustainable behaviors. This can include incorporating features such as energy-efficient lighting, efficient HVAC systems, and water-saving technologies. Maimoon Gardens represents a model of sustainable design, embodying cutting-edge sustainable features such as a smart home automation system, efficient HVAC systems, air and water purification systems, a waste management system that operates at an optimum level, and a greenhouse with a radiant cooling system, all of which provide and promote a cyclical economy within the building. These features are seamlessly integrated to achieve an advanced level of sustainability.

∙Education: Education is also an important tool in promoting sustainability and healthy living. By educating residents about the benefits of sustainability and healthy living, behavioral science can help change attitudes and increase understanding of the importance of these behaviors. Residential buildings can offer workshops, demonstrations, and other educational programs to help residents learn about sustainability and healthy living. At Maimoon Gardens, besides the above-mentioned educational and workshop activities, it would also, with it’s integrated AI-enabled systems, give feedback for energy and water usage and educate on consumption patterns, reductions, and benefits for the same.

Building on the point on education:

• What’s the impact of the new lifestyle on the resident family, community, country, and globe? as a sustainability-focused resident combating climate change?
• Do residents know how to separate wet and dry waste?
• ∙Drive & charge electric cars?
• Plant different types of plants on the balcony wall and greenhouse?
• Do residents know how RO water compares to bottled water (sodium, TDS, calcium)?