Health and wellness tend to be what we associate most with the science of building biology. It was after all noticing the pattern of illness in a new era of building material that Dr was able to garner the interest of his architect peers post WW2.
However, building biology is also an art as it aims for harmony between a space and its occupants. Beauty is intrinsic to our sense of wellness too. It encompasss values such as balance, harmony, and attention to the human need for these in their daily lives. When we moved to our new home in Malaysia and had to design from scratch, yet on a tight timeline and small budget, we chose purposeful pieces that would add interest, be biologically appropriate, and would continue the natural aesthetic that I enjoy. Although I still love a very bare minimalist aesthetic, it was time to finally add some beautiful touches to our space in a simple way.
Then during the lockdowns, we were home like never before. All of us, at home, most of the time, juggling work, play, relaxation. You’d think having a bigger space would solve all issues, but really the palate and complexity was greater. After almost five years here, many of the things that I would have looked at (or overlooked) to decorate our home have changed.
Choose what you most like about the natural aesthetic or function to build a scheme.
You can then curate some additional items within the same scheme to bring it all together.
Building biology bases itself on Nature as the golden standard. But you don’t have to be confined to a Pinterest-template of what is “natural”. Rather, choose which principles that work for you. Then pick items that reflect those principles.
For me, it was important that natural movement be something that our indoor living had. So I added a few seats and cushions of varying heights. Our seats help us move. We invested in great latex mattresses, as we spend half our days in bed — and I spend more sometimes with breastfeeding. This helped ensure when we are stationery, it is still ergonomic.
Some parts were not optimally designed for the task. I have some kitchen layout gripes, for example. But surprisingly, I still enjoy our low or no seating for daily household tasks, meals, and the simple beauty of natural fibre cushions to sit on.
Realise the function and task of a space. Aesthetic will follow.
My goal is always to create a calm and biologically healthful home for my family. After observing other homes and living my own space, I realise the first way to achieve this is still the same principle of any good space design: clearly define the task and goal of the space.
Odd corners and daily maintenance are two top banes of any space. I had to tackle the awkward areas of your home that impeded the flow of daily tasks and that created more burden on maintenance. Sometimes it is not until you try a material or design in a particular room that you realise it does not work as well as it could in another space.