Healthy Home Design

Learning about healthy home design will ensure that you include elements in your design that will support the health and well-being of you and your family. It's a goal for your home design that no-one can argue with.

The topic for healthy home design can be split into three main schools of thought included in the contents below.

I've pulled together some resources (and where to concentrate your time) on each of these which provide a good jumping off point for researching any healthy home design methodologies you want to use.

Harvard Homes for Health

I think it's worth everyone taking a look at this great resource for how to make your home a healthy one. Harvard Homes for Health will inform you about creating a healthy home in a general sense. You'll see that there's definitely some over lap with some of the principles of sustainable homes.

I recommend you read the 36 tips for a healthier home and the full report if you have more time. Include anything you want to include in your home design in your design brief.

Low-tox home

If you have allergies or asthma, methods to build a hypo-allergenic home focusing on air quality will be of interest. In order to build a low-tox home, you'll need to pay attention to the materials and finishes that make up the fabric of your building and that you put inside your home.

Low-tox TV

There is a Grand Designs episode from the UK which demonstrates brilliantly the principles behind building and furnishing a hypo-allergenic home.

You'll need to sign up for an account on Channel 4 (free).

There's also a magazine article about the home.

Both of the resources for low-tox homes named below are aimed at professionals in the building industry but they're free and very accessible so there's no reason that you shouldn't be familiar with these initiatives yourself as a homeowner.

Informed

A great place to start learning about low-tox is the Informed website. You'll find great information on low-tox products. Start by learning the methodology behind their product ratings system. Then go ahead and check out the product guidance.

Declare

Another helpful resource is the Declare database. This initiative is all about manufacturers declaring the materials and chemicals used in their products so that they can be presented on a label that's easily understood.

Start by reading a bit more about Declare. Then you can search the Declare product database.

Biophilic design

The biophilia concept is mainly about exposure to nature as a basis for increasing our well-being.

The best resource I've come across for homeowners is from a firm called Terrapin Bright Green, who are trail blazers in the field of biophilic design.

They write about 14 different patterns of biophilic design (which I have listed below). It's a fairly long read but has examples and explanations that will give you a deeper understanding.

Nature in the Space Patterns
1. Visual Connection with Nature
2. Non-Visual Connection with Nature
3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli
4. Thermal & Airflow Variability
5. Presence of Water
6. Dynamic & Diffuse Light
7. Connection with Natural Systems

Natural Analogues Patterns
8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns
9. Material Connection with Nature
10. Complexity & Order

Nature of the Space Patterns
11. Prospect
12. Refuge
13. Mystery
14. Risk/Peril

A biophilic bath - Natural daylight, lots of plants, candles for the evening, a lovely piece of wood to step up from, a sense of refuge in the bath.

Healthy home design chez moi

In our home here's a few things that immediately spring to mind as being all about a healthy home.

Natural light - We chose a site with southern exposure (in the northern hemisphere) and nearly all the rooms have light flooding in.
Good ventilation - We chose windows with vents, strong bathroom fans and put a fan in our laundry room to extract moisture.
Flooring feeling - We paid attention to how our flooring finishes would feel under foot. The wood feels like silk, the wool feels cozy and the tiling is smooth and the floors are warm.
Fire - This one's possibly a bit controversial. We have a natural wood burning stove in the living space. It's probably not the most environmentally friendly option and no doubt increases the amount of CO2 and particles in the room, and yet sitting in front of the fire on a day when it's cold outside is a very primal comfortable feeling.

Wrapping up

Becoming familiar with the including the principles for a healthy home design in your design brief and eventually your design go a long way towards making sure your home supports you and your family.