Dances with Hazards: How Real Experts Pull Human Health into Design

Editor’s Note: We all know product selection is complicated. Some people compare it to juggling, while others talk about “balancing tradeoffs.”

The first time I heard architect John Amatruda and industrial hygienist Catherine Bobenhausen talking together about how they incorporate HPD information into their vetting process, the metaphor that came to mind for me was a contra dance. As you’ll see in their dialogue below, they perform the complex steps beautifully and make it look easy! I hope you enjoy witnessing their dialogue as much as I did. This conversation uses paint as an example. –PJM