THE HEALING HOME
This project began by defining a 'healing palette' for the clients' home - a curation of materials that would promote mental and physical wellbeing. We applied the three stages of our Spatial Wellbeing Program to create an atmosphere of calm, strengthen rituals, and encourage particular behaviours from each member of the household.
PART I - DESIGN ELEMENTS
The way we understand surfaces within our home can influence our physiology. The use of timber can have a stress-reducing effect similar to nature: reducing blood pressure, heart rate, whilst improving attention.
Scientific evidence shows that merely looking at nature (and natural materials) can lower stress.
Natural light and the integration of natural elements (for example, a colour palette derived from nature), and potted plants and trees has a positive impact on wellbeing by affecting three of our mind-body systems: physiological (reduces anxiety), psychological (reduces anger and fear), and cognitive functions (improves creativity and boosts mood).
The integration of natural materials, natural colours and earthy tactility, help to create a healing Biophilic environment which have been shown to decrease blood pressure, improve short - term memory, decrease negative emotions, increase adaptive emotion regulation and decrease risk of cardiovascular disease.
PART II - THE RITUAL LANDSCAPE
The front yard has been designed to be a true indoor-outdoor space, which supports your rituals of arrival and departure, and respects the need to have entertaining space separate from the home. It shares materiality from the healing palette created for the interior to ease this transition.
A new trellis pergola over the front entrance gives more physical space to the threshold from exterior to interior, slowing down the rituals of arrival and departure. The front entrance to the home is defined with a new solid door, a welcoming porch light and greenery that sets a clear path to the front door.
Next to this is a children’s play space which can be supervised from the home. Grass has been chosen as contact with earth elements can be an important aid for physical grounding. The lower trellis can be used as a flexible space – a carport, alfresco dining or another open space for play.
A mud area within the front entrance helps support organised behaviours, and facilitates a moment of ‘cleansing’ before entering the home from the external world by providing a place to organise bags, shoes and other items brought in and out of the home.
PART III - BEHAVIOURS & EMOTIONS
We have responded to the desire for stillness and mindfulness in a quiet internal courtyard – a place to come together to eat breakfast as a family or rest. It is also a place that receives the morning light. Exposure to natural light and nature in the morning, after waking, can help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, boost mood and improve mental clarity.
The daughter’s bedroom loft is a quiet nook for her to read, play or create independently. The space has been kept minimal and simple, so that it can be a place that she can make her own as she plays, and as she grows up. We have suggested the inclusion of a play cushion couch to encourage imagination. The act of creating and building different structures can be an important part of children’s intellectual and creative development through spontaneous creative play.
The library loft contains an open library, where the timber slats allow interaction with activity in the living areas. Behind this is a quiet library which can be closed off with a door, to create a place for quiet study or meditation. Having these two spaces allows the loft space to provide two modes – quiet and contemplation, to connection and curiosity.
