#73 - Olivia Swann & Dan Bowers: Echo Chambers and Interlopers: Breaking Down Built Environment Barriers

Air Quality Matters

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What happens when a pediatrician who codes and a psychologist studying technology acceptance walk into a built environment conference? Sometimes the most illuminating perspectives come from the margins.
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Olivia Swan, a pediatric infectious disease consultant and data scientist, and Dan Bowers, head of Psychology at the University of South Wales, to explore the fascinating intersection of human behaviour, health, and our built spaces.
Livvy shares how her frustration with seeing the same children repeatedly hospitalised with respiratory issues from cold, damp homes drove her to harness data science to find solutions. "Preschool children are like canaries in the coal mine," she explains, with their rapid breathing rates making them particularly vulnerable to poor indoor air quality. These early exposures can set children up for lifelong respiratory problems, yet medical training rarely focuses on housing as a critical health factor.
Meanwhile, Dan reveals fascinating insights from his research on technology acceptance in social housing. What happens when new ventilation or heating systems are installed without adequate tenant engagement? The psychological dynamics of adoption become crucial, especially when residents lack agency in the decision-making process. "It's not just what the technology does," Bowers explains, "but what your neighbours and community think about it that drives acceptance."
The conversation tackles a perplexing question: why doesn't indoor air quality receive the same attention as other comparable health risks like smoking, despite causing similar harm? The invisible nature of air pollution creates a psychological blind spot, especially when many sources of indoor pollutants (cooking, candles, cleaning products) are associated with positive experiences.
This episode illuminates how truly interdisciplinary approaches might finally move the needle on these complex challenges. Whether you're a healthcare professional, work in housing, or simply care about creating healthier living environments, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on putting humans at the centre of the built environment.

Olivia Swann - LinkedIn
Dan Bowers - LinkedIn

Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study

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Chapters

1. Welcome to Air Quality Matters (00:00:00)

2. Meeting Our Accidental Interlopers (00:01:13)

3. Livvy's Journey: Medicine Meets Data Science (00:03:56)

4. Dan's Research: Technology in Social Housing (00:08:45)

5. Children as Canaries in the Coal Mine (00:19:07)

6. ACO Sponsor Message (00:25:10)

7. Housing Data and Health Outcomes (00:34:38)

8. Understanding Technology Acceptance Barriers (00:44:38)

9. Building Trust Through Multidisciplinary Approaches (00:55:51)

10. The Power of Storytelling in Communication (01:04:02)