What is Wellness in design?

When I tell people that I am a “wellness architect” I am often met with a blank look and the question, “what does that mean?”. And it’s a valid one.

“The spaces we create for ourselves need to be a reflection of the lifestyle we want to live”

I see myself as an architect responsible for the health, happiness, comfort and wellness of the clients I design for. The spaces we create for ourselves need to be a reflection of the lifestyle we want to live. It’s hard to be calm, focused or creative in a space that is cluttered, dusty and dull.

As I have explained in previous posts, my journey into the wellness industry began after my curiosity for diet and health began after moving to NYC in 2011, and has evolved to be a merging of the nutrition, health, wellness and design profession.

“The future of health is in the home.”

How can we design our homes to be healthier?

1. Decluttering.

The art of decluttering is not a new concept, and the recent New York Times bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tyding Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Author Marie Kondo talks about simple techniques to help release items from the home that no longer serve us.

There is something deeply therapeutic about releasing things (be it clothing, tchotchkes, out-of-date food items) from the home that is grounding and weight-lifting. When an item no longer serves us, it is just taking up real-estate in our house and our hearts.

The best way to approach de-cluttering isn’t to just go on a rampage and throw away anything you haven’t used in two years (as some advice), but rather to look at it from another angle.

Instead of thinking “what can I get rid of”, think about what it is you wish to keep. As Kondo advises, the now famous term; simply ask “Does it spark JOY?”.

Take a fresh look in your pantry or closet. Are there items there you’re holding onto “when they fit” or “my kids might want it for a dress-up in the future”? Ask yourself if there is someone out there that might get better use from your items and donate them to your local clothing store, give away your tinned beans that have collected dust and take the time to evaluate your items and ask “does this spark joy”?

2. Furniture Arrangement and Floor Plan Flow

Another angle to approach your healthy home is to look at the furniture arrangement and flow. Energies move through our spaces and certain furniture or placement can block that flow and create ‘stuck’ energy.

Feng shui, the well-known ancient art which helps to balance the energies of any given space is a common guidebook to furniture arrangement and placement to attract different chi or energies into the home.

Introducing simple feng shui techniques, especially in the bedroom can help you receive better sleep. Sleep is the number one factor in my mind that contributes to a healthy body and mind. I will blog further about the how to design a bedroom for restful sleep in the future.

As an architect I am sometimes lucky enough to have the opportunity to design a house from scratch, allowing a free flowing floor plan to evolve that helps promote best energy flow for the client (it varies for each person).

Whenever I get the opportunity to work with a client in the design of a new house or apartment, I always like to evaluate their lifestyle as the starting point, and to gauge where in their life they’d like to be balanced and allow the design to evolve from there.

3. Kitchen Layout

This is perhaps the most important in terms of design. The kitchen really is the heart of the home and for someone wishing to find balance and wellness in their life; the most critical.

A kitchen needs to not only be an aesthetic centerpiece, but it needs to work functionally and seamlessly to encourage the owner to be in there as much as possible.

The future of health is in the home. We all need to be cooking and creating in the home, as this gives us ultimate control of our health by allowing us to create fresh, whole-foods, juices, home-made sauces and dressings free from added sugar, processing and chemical additives.

As someone that loves to cook, create and experiment in the kitchen, I find the most important elements are clear counter space, storage and access to recycling / composting. Living in NYC creates its challenges when it comes to all of these points, but there ways to make it work – you just have to get creative.

I dream of the day where these design considerations are common place in our kitchens:

• Juicers built into the countertop (and are easy to clean!),

• Blenders,

• grow-at-home herb / veggie gardens,

• compost bins,

• worm farms,

• filtered water (although this is becoming more common) and,

• Refrigerators that are designed to accommodate an abundance of fresh, organic produce

According to macrobiotic principles, our food absorbs our energies, so the saying “made with love” is not just an old wives tale, it is true. Think about how calm, happy and joyous you are next time you prepare a meal and know that the energy you are radiating is being absorbed into what you are cooking.

4. Indoor Plants

One of the best indoor plants I've ever had • dieffenbachia • thanks for the reco _bronwynmarshall

• Breathe Green •

Capture

One of the easiest and most affordable way to make a quick energy update to your home is to introduce house plants. They instantly increase the positive vibrations of the home and help to make the air you breathe that little bit more organic.

If you are like me, it may take a few ‘trials’ of different house plant varieties before you find one that works in your space depending on the level of light you get. I have found luck in the ,

Plants area easily my favorite addition to any styling or interior job, they add an ‘alive’ energy that instantly increase mood and positive energy of a room. Make sure you wipe the leaves free of dust when you water them – I find weekly is best – and keep them out of the cold (I keep my windows open year round so they don’t like that in the winters).

..."we spend up to 90% of our time indoors..."

While there are many other design techniques that go into creating a ‘wellness project’ these are the top considerations when looking at a new space. For someone looking to update their own space try these approaches and be conscious and present to the changes that occur when you make them.

Health, happiness and wellness are all obtainable goals for every individual. There is no reason each and every single person cannot reach a level of personal satisfaction, joy and contentment.

While the methods of reaching these levels extend well beyond how our houses, apartments and offices are arranged; it is a great place to start, given we spend up to 90% of our time indoors here in the USA.

If each individual takes personal responsibility for their diet and lifestyle, we can help reduce our impact not only on the planet (read here why I went plant based for the planet), but also on our own bodies and therefore the health care system. If we can each learn to be open, tread-lightly on the planet and radiate joy the world will only become a better place – and I truly believe this all begins in the home.

#wellness #architecture #design #wellnessarchitect