KLPOA
Kacper Lastowiecki Practice of Architecture
Residential Wellness Assessment

The Healthy
Home Audit

15 questions that reveal how well your home is actually supporting your health.

Most homes were never designed with your wellbeing as a priority. This checklist — developed from the WELL Building Standard and years of wellness-centered residential practice — helps you identify where your home may be working against you, and what you can do about it.

klpoa.com  ·  Arlington, Virginia
Interactive · Score Tracked
Before You Begin

Your home affects your health every single day — most people don't realize how much.

The average American spends over 90% of their time indoors. The quality of that environment — the air you breathe, the light you wake up to, the materials surrounding you, the noise you absorb — directly shapes your energy, sleep, mood, and long-term health.

The good news: most of these issues are solvable. Some require simple behavioral changes. Others are architectural — they require a thoughtful redesign to truly fix. This audit helps you understand which is which.

How to use this checklist
  • Read each statement and check the box if it is currently true for your home.
  • Watch your score update in real time at the bottom of the screen.
  • Higher scores indicate a healthier home environment.
  • Pay particular attention to items marked with a red dot — these carry the highest health impact.
High impact
Moderate impact
Supportive factor
01
Indoor Air Quality
The air inside most homes is 2–5× more polluted than outdoor air. Poor ventilation, off-gassing materials, and moisture issues are the primary culprits.
My home has a mechanical ventilation system (ERV or HRV) or operates with a dedicated fresh air strategy.
Without fresh air exchange, CO₂ levels rise overnight — this impairs cognitive function and sleep quality.
The finishes, flooring, paints, and adhesives used in my home are low-VOC or zero-VOC certified.
Volatile Organic Compounds off-gas from conventional materials for years, contributing to headaches, respiratory issues, and long-term health risks.
My HVAC filters are MERV-13 rated (or higher) and replaced on schedule.
Standard fiberglass filters capture less than 20% of fine particulate matter. MERV-13+ captures over 85%.
There is no visible mold, persistent musty odor, or known moisture intrusion in my home.
Mold releases mycotoxins that cause respiratory illness, fatigue, and cognitive fog — often misdiagnosed for years.
02
Light & Circadian Health
Light is the primary signal that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. Most homes deliver the wrong kind of light at the wrong time of day.
My main living areas and bedroom receive direct or substantial indirect natural daylight during daytime hours.
Natural daylight suppresses melatonin production during the day, which in turn improves night-time sleep quality and depth.
My evening lighting is warm-toned (2700K or lower) and dimmable — I avoid bright overhead lighting after 8pm.
Blue-spectrum light in the evening delays melatonin onset by 1–3 hours, suppressing sleep quality even when you feel tired.
My bedroom can be made fully dark at night — no significant light intrusion from outside or hallways.
Even low levels of ambient light during sleep disrupt REM cycles and increase risk of metabolic disruption.
03
Thermal Comfort & Performance
Temperature inconsistency isn't just uncomfortable — it's a sign of an inefficient building envelope that wastes energy and compromises health.
My home maintains consistent temperatures room-to-room — no significant drafts, cold floors, or overheated areas.
Temperature inconsistency indicates air sealing deficiencies and thermal bridging that drive energy costs and moisture risk.
My home's indoor humidity stays between 40–60% year-round (measured, not estimated).
Below 30%: skin and respiratory irritation, virus transmission increases. Above 65%: mold risk escalates rapidly.
My bedroom sleeps cool — I maintain or can maintain a nighttime temperature between 65–68°F.
Core body temperature must drop 2–3°F to initiate sleep. A cool bedroom supports this process naturally.
04
Acoustic Environment
Chronic noise exposure — even at levels below conscious awareness — elevates cortisol, disrupts sleep, and degrades cognitive performance over time.
My bedroom is sufficiently isolated from traffic, HVAC noise, and household sound to allow undisturbed sleep.
The WHO recommends nighttime outdoor noise below 40dB. Most urban and suburban bedrooms routinely exceed this.
My home has spaces where I can work or rest without frequent noise interruptions from other rooms or outside.
Sound privacy enables deep work and recovery — both are impaired in acoustically open floor plans without thoughtful design.
05
Spatial Wellbeing & Design
How a space is organized — its proportions, connection to nature, and support for daily movement — has measurable effects on mood, stress, and behavior.
My home has views to the outdoors — trees, sky, or greenery — from areas where I spend significant time.
Research on biophilic design shows that even brief visual access to nature lowers cortisol and blood pressure.
My home's layout encourages daily movement — I don't sit for extended periods without naturally passing through active spaces.
Passive architecture can either encourage or suppress movement. The layout itself is a health determinant.
My home feels calm and restorative after a long day — the design, materials, and light support a genuine sense of rest.
This is the ultimate test: your home should actively restore you, not passively receive you.
Interpreting Your Score

What your results mean

0 – 11
Significant Gaps
Your home has meaningful wellness deficiencies. Architectural intervention could make a significant difference to your daily health and quality of life.
12 – 22
Improving Foundation
A reasonable base, but key opportunities remain. Targeted improvements in your lowest-scoring areas would yield noticeable wellbeing gains.
23 – 30
Wellness-Ready Home
Your home already supports your health well. A WELL-focused architect can help you refine and certify what you've built or guide your next renovation.

Note: This audit reflects WELL Building Standard principles and general evidence-based wellness guidelines. It is not a substitute for a professional home assessment or clinical advice.

The Next Step

Ready to design a home that actively works for you?

KLPOA is one of the only architecture practices in the DMV region led by a WELL Accredited Professional. Whether you're planning a renovation, an addition, or a new build, we'd love to talk about how your home can be transformed into a true sanctuary.

Schedule Your Free Consultation

No obligation. A focused 30-minute conversation with Kacper — directly.

Email KL@KLPOA.com
Phone (771) 777-4997
Serving Washington DC · Northern Virginia · Maryland
KLPOA · Kacper Lastowiecki Practice of Architecture
© 2025 KLPOA · klpoa.com · All rights reserved
Your Healthy Home Score
0
/ 30
Begin the audit above
0