Trace paper, thick black markers, wood models and coffee are indispensable in the genesis of an idea. However, many elements we experience in the built environment can’t be seen. Whether energy, microbes, chemicals, or sound, the unseen has a profound impact on our own health, experience and energy use in the built environment. It’s time we design for it. At the Institute for Health and the Built Environment, we have the unique toolsets to visualize, understand, simulate and shape the world around us. These include: microbial DNA sequencing, metagenomics, gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy, climate chamber, wind tunnel, virtual reality and acoustic equipment.