January 3, 2008
Reimagining the House - connecting body, mind, spirit and place .

Robert L. Rogers, Architectural Alternatives, Inc.,

As we have provided a wide variety of housing-related architectural services over the 20 years of Architectural Alternatives' history, we continue to explore ideas and search for better ways to design. The following thoughts are a "work in progress", in which we as part of an overall team (Client, Architect, Contractor, Sub-Contractors, Material Suppliers, etc.) seek the best solutions for lifestyle housing options in the 21 st century. We invite your comments!

What is a house? Whether a structure to shelter individuals or families is called a house, residence, dwelling, apartment, condominium, retirement center, etc., the concept remains the same - the need for a physical environment to enclose space for various basic activities related to our human lifestyle. We don't normally call this physical place a "nest" or "burrow" or "cell", and perhaps we should, to create greater ties with the ecology around us.

The need to "reimagine" or "reinvent" the house - We live in the era of unknowns such as global warming, burgeoning populations, resource stress, and we also live in a century of incredible opportunities as evidenced by quickly evolving interest in "green design". The house is the primary space for all of us and does its share in contributing to the problems and solutions of the planet. This primary space for all of us needs to be a place of comfort, economy, security, beauty, function, and marketability - how can we imagine the options as we approach the end of the first decade of the 21 st Century?

How Architectural Alternatives is changing its approach to the design of housing - here are some thoughts about how we are attempting to reimagine and rework our approach to housing:

•  Smaller size but high quality design and detailing for a comfortable lifestyle - we are members of the "Not So Big House" Professionals Directory and subscribe to basic principles of smaller designs but with high quality details. We are members of the US Green Building Council, working to incorporate LEED ( L eadership in E nergy and E nvironmental D esign) into our commercial projects. We are exploring the use of Earthcraft design techniques for residential design.

•  Design for the new era of global warming/sustainable living/etc . - our carbon footprints make a difference when multiplied by millions. We need to be aware of the growing consciousness of all of the energy and material implications of our choices, and contribute to solutions to global problems.

•  Emphasis on better use of what we have - the best way to reduce energy and material consumption is to better use our existing environments. We would rather emphasize additions/renovations to houses than new construction, where applicable.

•  Design for all four aspects of our slogan ("Architecture for Sustainable Living, connecting body, mind, spirit and place ") - often we ourselves focus only on the first and last (body and place) and forget about the mind and spirit. What should places "look like" that take seriously the other two aspects of our humanity - mind and spirit. "Mind" goes far beyond providing a home office or a computer screen, to include exploring the total wonder of life and its extremely complex elements. "Spirit" goes far beyond religion and providing a place for meditation, to exploring the many worlds of imagination and spiritual depth. The intent is for a holistic approach and the role of our office in challenging ourselves and you (the Client) in helping achieve a holistic solution for your design needs.

•  Design reflecting the energy use of a building and the division of a house into 3 major energy components - given our global concern for use of energy, can we re-imagine the house in an energy sense:

•  Warm rooms - bathrooms, laundry, closets, dressing areas, etc - any place which year-round we wish to be a comfortable and warm environment. Why do closets have to be in bedrooms and why shouldn't they be near the laundry?

•  Cool and conditioned rooms - bedrooms. These are spaces in which we are not in control of our surroundings (asleep) for a significant amount of time and we should have the best possible environment imaginable.

•  Floating rooms - living, dining, kitchen areas. Why couldn't these rooms "float" with the ecological surroundings, from hot to cold, providing some modifications as needed?

•  Design reflecting the spiritual potential of our lives - if we approach a house as a temple for the human spirit, what difference would it make if we:

•  Designed every space from a spiritual (not Feng Shui, but could include this) perspective? What would a "house for enlightenment" look like?.....perhaps like the human heart?

•  Provided places of quiet and meditation for all members of the household, including the animals outside?

•  Simplified our lifestyles (and homestyles) - do the Shakers have a message where their simple, functional designs of buildings and furnishings and lifestyles were one?

•  Purposely left areas unfinished, reflecting the transitions and change of life?

•  Connected interior and exterior so that they were one (beyond "NanaWalls")?

•  Enhanced the overall ecology of our plot of the planet?

•  Designing the "Burrow/Nest" - Perhaps if we borrowed some terms and models from nature we could help to make our dwellings more holistic. What would happen if we built burrow/nests, which are partially underground (burrowing in for shelter, warmth and protection), and partially open to the sky (enjoying the world, expressing our aspirations for spiritual soaring, being able to see a long distance, and beautiful views)?

•  Healthy Lifestyle/Healthy House - whether we call this "sustainable living" or just living in a healthy manner, our house design should reflect goals for a healthy lifestyle. There is an interconnection between these - all of the following should apply to the way we live our lives, prepare our foods, and what we put into our buildings:

•  No additives - keep things pure, unadulterated in our housing designs and material selections.

•  Minimize the bad kind of fat and facilitate the good kind - focus on what contributes to a healthy home.

•  Cut down on added 'sugars' - things added to a house which have little value but take energy, add cost, and require maintenance.

•  Eat a balanced diet - make sure our designs are holistic, reflecting the balance needed in our lives.

•  Drink plenty of liquids - this doesn't mean high-water use toilets are OK, but that we should bring in lots of light, fresh air, etc., as part of our house's "fluid" system.

•  Eat in moderation - obesity in housing is as bad as obesity in people.