Habitat Re•Imagined

Sustainable Community

Personal Wellness – a holistic approach

by

Over the years, I have seen a variety of images to communicate the balance we need to experience true wellness. Holistic wellness starts out with consideration of body, mind, and spirit – and then expands into the many other aspects of life. Various designs of circles have been created to provide an image of our balanced need. This first image shows three overlapping circles with the center indicating the balance.

One of my favorite circle images is a “wheel” representing the  Wellness Inventory developed by John Travis MD, founder of one of the first holistic wellness centers in the country. The inventory expands the basic three into twelve areas of consideration for personal well being. These areas go deeper into our human need and include our relationship with others

I recently came across another circle, a spiral that communicates an even deeper level of consideration. This image expands the categories to include cultural and environmental considerations. In addition, it also expands the personal focus to connect with family, community, and world.

Overall, the message is to consider the fullness of life, all the ways we are affected and affect others, and all the ways we can grow and change to create a world where wellness for all is the value we live by.

 

Holistic Aspects of a Healthy Home

by

Like the consideration of mind, body, and spirit in holistic health, a healthy home must address the spiritual, environmental, social, and economic aspects of holistic sustainability. In our personal pursuit of health we often focus on our body and neglect to see how the state of our mind, emotions, and spirit affect the whole. It can be the same, even with green building, to focus on the environmental issues of our “second skin” and neglect to see how our homes affect our spiritual, social, and economic health. Here are my considerations for the holistic aspects of a healthy home.

Environmental Sustainability addresses the considerations of green building and how our homes affect our personal well being along with the health of the planet. The following areas are the primary three categories of green building:

  • Energy Efficiency involves consideration of conservation of fossil fuels through insulation and weatherization, as well providing alternative methods of power through renewable energy sources.
  • Resource Conservation involves consideration of the materials and methods we build with, the waste in the building process, the life cycle of our home, and how we design to encourage future reuse and recycling.
  • Air Quality involves consideration of the toxicity of the materials we build with, and the ability of our homes to exchange fresh air and deal with mold cultivating moisture.

Spiritual Sustainability addresses the considerations of how our home provides an atmosphere that cultivates peace and serenity, creative expression, and emotional security.

Social Sustainability addresses the consideration of how our home welcomes our family, neighbors, and friends, as well as how it provides optimum indoor and outdoor environments for healthy social engagement.

Economic Sustainability addresses the consideration of how our home will affect our finances now and in the future.

The Makings of a Healthy Home

by

The concept of a healthy home can bring up up a variety of images and questions. Does it have to do with the food we eat, the air we breathe, the relationships we have…? I think it is all of that and more – our homes are the environment that contain many of the aspects that encourage our health or lack of. Some time ago I heard someone refer to our homes as our “second skin” – a type of vital organ of its own, functioning on another level for nurturing, protection, and detoxification.

I have been intrigued with houses as long as I can remember – especially how I feel when I am inside. I didn’t understand at the time but, looking back, I can see how various homes stimulated a sense of welcome or anxiety, creativity or stagnation, joy or depression, etc. I also was intrigued by the construction itself and, together, these things drew me to my involvement in building and renovation – and my evolving interest in healthy homes.

I started my journey in building with a focus on creativity and energy efficiency in house design. As time went along, I became interested in holistic health and the effect our homes have on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I also became interested in how our social life and relationships are influenced by the environment we live in. Today I tend to look at many aspects when I consider the design or redesign of a healthy home.

I will detail these aspects in a future post

Green Building Basics

by

Green building means different things to different people. On one hand is the purist with a desire to live closer to the land and build with all natural materials. On the other hand is the opportunist with only a green-washed marketing scheme. For most of us green building means the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle, a concern for the planet we share, less dependency on a foreign source of energy, and a vision for what we pass on to future generations.

Sustainability is the word that I think best describes the green movement and covers all aspects of building green. Sustainability, simply put,  means the capacity to endure – it is whatever moves us to better serve your long term needs as well as the eco-system we are part of. It is our commitment to a quality of life that extends to the inheritance of future generations.

Designing for energy efficiency and resource conservation is the foundation from which green building has been built. After more than 30 years of maturing, efficiency in all aspects of design is an integral factor to building green. At it’s core, green building includes simple and efficient use of space, planning for sustainable energy usage and flow, local sourcing of materials whenever possible, and quality that passes the test of time.

Another primary consideration uncovered in the evolution of green building,  is providing a healthy home or work environment. Our quality of life is considerably affected by the quality of food we eat, water we drink, and air we breathe – and the air we breathe is considerably affected by the materials we build with.

One of my favorite books on green building is Green From the Ground Up by David Johnston. He has been building green since the 70’s, helped start the first green building association in the country, and has developed training curriculum for certifying green builders. David’s book, as the title suggests, starts with site planning and considers the options for energy efficiency, resource conservation, and healthy materials at every step in the conventional building process.

Work With Us