Here's an idea

Fairfield Housing Cooperative was set up to regenerate one of the worst housing estates in Scotland, Hunter's Crescent in Perth.

An architect convinced us to try housing that could reduce asthma for our flagship development, Toll House Gardens.

According to a recent report by the Global Initiative for Asthma, 37% of 13- to 14-year-old Scottish children experienced wheezing over a year – the highest figure of the 83 countries in the report.

We built 14 homes for about 30 people. They use low-allergy paint, full-height kitchen units – which gather less dust – and the chipboard floors are not treated with formaldehyde because it has been linked to allergies.

They also use insulation made from recycled newspaper. This allows the walls to "breathe" and extracts moisture, discouraging dust mites.

Good ventilation is very important for removing dust mites. Five of the properties have a "heat exchanger" system of ventilation ducts in their ceilings, which provide a constant flow of fresh air. These were donated for free by the manufacturer, Baxi, because of the high profile of the development.

Another nine have "dynamic insulation" systems in the loft. This uses two fans to remove old air and bring in fresh air through a perforated ceiling.

The basic alterations cost £4000-5000 more than a normal property, depending on which system was used.

The tenants moved in last July and about 50% have asthma or allergies. Strathclyde University is monitoring the houses' dust and humidity. We should have the results by the end of the year.

But a lot depends on people's lifestyles. Research has shown that changes like steam cleaning furniture, using laminate flooring, cutting out smoking and changing bed linen regularly can reduce asthma by 70%. We included these suggestions in tenants' welcome packs and so far they are listening to this advice, especially those who suffer from asthma most.