Healthy Bodies.
Wellness architects are the new doctors.
We all invest in our health. We care about how we feel. We want to live healthy lives. Quite often it comes at a cost. We need to work out (ughh), or eat healthy food (yuk), or spend money on pills and medication to improve our health (oh no). We want to share with you one area where the pain of living a healthy life isn’t that bad. Actually it's effortless and doesn’t come at a cost. It isn’t a substitute for the above, but rather an important aspect of our lives that we tend to miss: the wellbeing of our spaces.
We spend over 90% of our lives indoors. Over 25 years are spent sleeping in the bed, in a space. But do we think about how these spaces might affect us? Do we invest in the health of our own spaces?
Our ancestors lived in the ‘natural’ jungle; we now live in the ‘toxic’ jungle. The health of our spaces inherently affect us. Most of the spaces we inhabit today are toxic: chemicals in the air, bad bacteria and mould on our surfaces, all leading to health concerns, such as cancer, schizophrenia, autism, gut and immune system problems, depression and so forth. The crazy part is, all these toxic things are microscopic, we cannot see it and quite often we are totally unaware when in the space. Unlike having the conscious decision to eat the healthy food or to work out, toxic spaces are breeding toxic environments for your body that come unnoticeable, and the devastating impacts are only noticed in the long term.
Buildings are not properly sealed, with gaps that create vacuums to draw out the cool or heated internal air, costing a lot more to power a building. Depending on the climate, this can also cause mould build up and can allow toxic particles like pollution and smoke to enter the building.
This is the double-edged sword because the inside air can be worse than the outside air. The materials used in our interior spaces can be made out of materials containing toxic varnishes that, if not ventilated, cause extreme harm, such as cancer in our bodies. Also over time, material decay exerts chemicals into the air that are also harmful.
The water we consume can also be toxic. There are a lot of chemicals found in our water system that are untested, as well as particles and impurities that are collected as the water travels through the old pipes.
Only in the last century we have been exposed to artificial light. Our bodies are not attune to the artificial light and sleeping patterns, causing diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder and so forth.
Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) waves are known to cause serious health problems such as brain cancers, infertility, and cause harm to DNA. We now live in environments surrounded by EMF, and we don’t realise the devastating impacts it has on our health. As mentioned earlier, we spend over 25 years asleep, and most of the time we sleep surrounded by EMF-emitting sources and our phone, causing long term health problems, as well as impacting our restorative sleep we need for healing.
At India Design ID 2022, Beau Avedissian spoke about 'wellness architecture', in particular EMF and its effects, and potential design solutions. Please see below clips from the talk.
Introduction to 'Wellness Architecture':
What is EMF, and how EMF impacts our health:
Architecture, design and lifestyle solutions to reduce EMF exposure in our lives:
A summary of the solutions and a wellness architecture wrap up:
As you’re reading this now, just think - Am I in healthy space? Or a toxic space? And how do we even know?
We at HyperArchitects are your ‘Wellness Architects’ that design spaces aimed to help improve one’s health. We like to call this ‘Healthitecture’: architecture that enhances and improves your wellbeing. Imagine, spaces that you inhabit naturally improve your health, complementing your current lifestyle in a way that costs no more. This driving thought has been a success in multiple projects of ours around the world, where healthy spaces are seen as a mechanism to improve one’s relationships, mood, quality of life and life span, work performance, to the building performance and to the impact on our planet. Wellness architecture in this sense, is better for the inhabitants, better for the client/developer, and better for our planet.
There are a lot of elements that go into creating healthy spaces, and as it depends on the place, climate, context, occupants, budget and so forth, it becomes a tailored approach. What we can provide briefly, are some pointers to keep aware of in your spaces.
It is important that a building has a strong protective layer: a building envelope that is sealed completely. You can still seal your building and open windows for cross ventilation if it’s appropriate. However, we do recommend installing mechanical ventilation, that can provide fresh, filtrated air into the internal spaces. Having a sealed building would cost a lot less to power, provide healthier spaces by reducing mould build up and limiting toxic outside air into our internal spaces.
Air filtration is important. The internal air needs to be purified as there may still be toxic chemicals, carbon dioxide, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and fine particles that need to be filtered. This can be done mechanically and/or via indoor plants. Other methods include using toxin free materials in construction, finishes, furniture, and cleaning products. This will create environments that relieve the occupants from toxic chemicals harmful to their health (improving health), providing cleaner air (increase focus to work more efficiently), and create happier moods (improving relationships).
TUTU's wellness products are great at cleaning the air in all our small spaces, such as when driving in the car, working at the office desk, or on the go. TUTU Air Pro removes odours and toxic chemicals from our food, and kills bacteria in our fridges, shoe cabinets and bathrooms. These products are a cost effective, and a quick fix solution.
In your pocket.
TUTU Air.
Ventilation of healthy air or mechanical ventilation, creates value and increases Return on Investment (ROI), making it a cost effective strategy. For example, COGS study 2017, increasing ventilation by 30% increases productivity by 8%. For working environments this means more profitability, and healthier workers. Just by sealing the building correctly, with mechanical ventilation, it will cost less to power the building, increase working production, improve one’s health, at no greater cost to the client.
We can design the air of the space with these certain bacteria and vitamins that we are deficient in. This can be achieved via the plants, materials, water and lighting systems in our spaces. Providing for these deficiencies means healthier body and healthier mind.
Water filtration is very important as clean water is another element we consume. Using purified water systems would mean removing the toxic microscopic particles and chemicals, and you would be consuming and bathing in heathier water.
It is important that our spaces have access to natural light for the emotional benefits: creating a happier mood, feeling of joy, clarity of mind and focus. As well as the physical benefits: providing vitamin D, disinfecting the body, improving digestion, and improving sleep. Artificial light can also be helpful if it runs on a circadian rhythm, changing the colour and intensity throughout the day.
As mentioned before, the bedroom is one of the spaces we spend most of our time. It is also a space that we can personally control. The following are just some strategies to help create a sanctuary in the bedroom:
This space should be free of toxic chemicals found in furniture and finishes
Has clean air and airflow, removing carbon dioxide, mould, VOCs, chemicals via mechanical ventilation and plants.
Circadian lighting.
Aromas to help with consumption of vitamins and help with mood.
Noise reduction.
EMF protective paints, curtains, or shielded glass.
By applying these strategies, they aim to help with creating the best possible deep sleep. Your deep sleep, or restorative sleep, is so important for the healing of your body and for improved health. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary. By having a space that is removed from electromagnetic waves, providing vitamins and healthy bacteria while you sleep is a great way to utilise this time as a health space sanctuary for your body.
Wellness architecture isn’t just for the hospital or spas, which has been previously known, but we see the urgency and opportunity for residential, offices, really any space we inhabit is an opportunity for wellness architecture. The strategies for implementing wellness into the design doesn’t require big manoeuvres or come at a great cost. In fact, we are excited to tell you that the manoeuvres are simple and wellness architecture (when done right) can be a more profitable and cost-effective way to go. These are small changes with big differences. Since Covid, this has fast tracked the awareness people now have of healthy spaces. We are excited to design and build these spaces that elevate people’s lives with healthier spaces.
to create a healthier future.