Living Shelter Architects’ mission is to offer innovative design solutions for healthy and resilient homes that positively impact our community and our planet. But you may be wondering, what exactly does a healthy and resilient home mean? This article is part one of a two part series to answer this very question.
So, What Is A Healthy Home?
At minimum, a healthy home is one built and finished using non-toxic materials, that has adequate filtered fresh air circulation, and has durable and easy to clean surfaces. We like to take this a bit further to include aspects that support good mental health such as natural light and a visual connection to nature, and that allow occupants to live independently as their abilities change due to age or health challenges.
Living Shelter Architects was founded on the idea of promoting healthier and more sustainable options for creating homes. We stay on top of new findings and developments in healthy methods and materials to incorporate them as appropriate. When you work with us, we share our knowledge to help you understand the options and plan a healthy home investment strategy for your family.
What Is A Resilient Home?
A resilient home is one designed to allow you to comfortably survive amidst environmental challenges, such as the effects of climate change. This means that a resilient home:
Takes very little energy to stay comfortable in all seasons, and that produces the energy it needs.
Collects and filters rainwater, at a minimum for irrigation and ideally for other household uses as well.
Has a fire resistant exterior and fire-safe landscape, and is sited so there is a sunny garden space to grow food.
Living Shelter Architects has helped clients create low-impact, net-positive energy homes for years, and lately have been working with resiliency tools from the Living Building Challenge and Passive House Protocol. When this service is included, a resilient lens is used when helping our clients decide on a building site, in writing the design program, in layout and orientation of the building elements, and in shepherding a home through to completion.
What’s The Value Of Natural Materials In A Healthy Home?
Our perspective is holistic; what we choose causes a ripple effect far beyond our homes. Not only are we concerned about the health of our clients and their families, but also about how the manufacture and disposal of unhealthy products impacts the environment and lives of others.
The extraction and manufacturing of many products is toxic to workers and the byproducts are toxic to the environment. There are people who are less fortunate than us and live near the factories or garbage dumps. Labor practices in many sectors are also quite atrocious, but that is a topic for another time. So, we see using healthy and natural materials as much a social justice issue as a personal health and environmental stewardship choice. All are equally important.
Now, that you have more understanding on what constitutes a healthy and resilient home, you likely have even more questions, such as:
Are healthy resilient homes more costly than standard built homes?
Are there ways to improve an existing home so that it is more resilient?
Stay tuned as these questions and more will be answered in the next article in this two part series.
These days, many people are thinking about ways to make their spaces more resilient and comfortable. Would you like to make an appointment to discuss your project ideas? We are listening and ready to meet your needs. Book a virtual consultation today.