We all understand the importance of good nutrition in promoting the well-being of our families. A dismal diet can affect energy, mood, even relationships between family and friends. But too often we don't realize the affect the actual architecture of our home has on physical and spiritual well-being. Sarah Susanka, in her book Home by Design, summed up the point. "Good architectural design is every bit as important as good nutrition. Both are good medicine for our physical and spiritual well-being and a lack of either one can cause a myriad of unnecessary maladies. "

Instinctively we respond to our physical environment. We may feel inspired, peaceful, invigorated, comfortable, relaxed, or reflective.

"Instinctively we respond to our physical environment. . . Few, however, recognize the internal response we have to the environment our homes create."

Nature seems to be crafted to evoke these feelings in us. Most of us instinctively understand this and try to replicate the best nature has to offer in our own yards. Few, however, are aware of the internal response we have to the environment our homes create. Architects employ fundamental principles of design to elicit feelings of peace, comfort, or inspiration. A home designed without these principles in mind is not in a family's physical or spiritual best interest.

Unfortunately, because the principles of architecture are often employed with novelty, sculpture, and aesthetic creativity as the primary goal it is seen as a luxury by many. Architecture is not merely for the wealthy. Good architectural design can be employed whether using plastic laminate or limestone countertops, whether you install a Wolf or a Whirlpool. Good architecture is about setting the tone for the environment in which our family will interact. When used correctly, architectural principles can positively influence your attitude, your patterns of living, and the interactions you have (or don't have) with your family and friends.

"If a home feels claustrophobic, simply creating views into multiple spaces (especially on a diagonal) will make a home feel larger than it actually is."

Poor design fosters frustration in a family. It is the way in which the sequence of places in the home are strung together that can create an inefficient, uncomfortable use of the space. This is manifested in rooms that are used very infrequently, traffic patterns that confiscate otherwise useful space, spaces which are proportioned to make us feel uncomfortable, social events that gravitate to spaces that were not designed to hold them or that unintentionally isolate guests, and family members that feel unnecessarily isolated from each other, or who have no place to be alone in the home leaving them feeling frazzled with no place of respite.

How can the design of a home change the relationships within the home? It is by creating spaces that generate appropriate internal responses in the members of the family. The dimensions of a room, set properly, can cause a feeling of comfort rather than uneasiness, intimacy instead of claustrophobia. Lighting is also an integral consideration that can affect our mood. Proper lighting conditions can make a space feel cheery, romantic, or conducive to introspection. The three elements at the architect's disposal to craft opportunities for family connectedness in a home are space, light, and order. They work together to specifically solve the maladies that poor architecture contributes to in a family such as anxiousness, disconcertedness, frustration, and isolation.

If a home feels claustrophobic, these principles can be employed to alter the home to create a feeling that it is larger than it is, while simultaneously creating a sense of openness and intimacy. Simply creating views into multiple spaces (especially on a diagonal), while separating the spaces with elements other than walls, will make a home feel larger than it actually is. This means that often the home or addition can be smaller than originally thought, while still maintaining the desired feel.

"Think of the last time you went out to eat in a restaurant. You probably asked to sit in the corner, edge, or in a booth."

Poorly designed homes generate a feeling of disconcertedness. If certain spaces in the home are too tall, it creates a sense of vulnerability. Think of the last time you went out to eat in a restaurant. You probably asked to sit in the corner, edge, or in a booth. We naturally feel more comfortable in a space that we can sit in and look out - one that shelters us well, yet still provides a view to our environment. High ceilings are appropriate in moderation, but don't be afraid to define spaces in the home with lowered ceilings. Even very low ceilings in small spaces can make a space very cozy. It may turn out to be your favorite place to relax - especially if it offers a great view!

The composition of a family dictates the architecture of the home. A couple without children should live in a very different home than one with children. Those with children should consider making a play place connected enough to the kitchen and family room that they can play while being close to the parents and yet be out of the traffic patterns. A good spatial consideration for kids is to make sure that there is some area that can be used as a 'race track' to run around. Children love to chase each other - and a good design will allow for this without creating the frustration of disturbing the traffic patterns in the home.

Many homes are either too open or too segmented and disconnected. Newer homes have floor plans that are open. These public spaces facilitate occasions such as social events or family interaction well, but at other times the home can be noisy with little privacy, respite or retreat from the activities going on in the home. Older homes have more segmented designs where each room is smaller, divided from the others and designed for a specific purpose. This leads to more privacy and less noise, but our world has changed since these homes were built. The result is that generally family members are separated from each other as they engage in separate activities leading to a feeling of isolation or exclusion among family members.

The solution is for a home to have a good mix of spaces that are public, private and somewhere in-between. Public spaces need more private areas immediately at the edge where two or three can interact. This could be in the form of a window seat, an alcove, or a recessed fireplace. In any event the space should be no larger than which two or three people could occupy. In addition to these private areas directly off of the main public areas there should also be a room that is isolated from the noise of the home. This is the place where the children play and the noise is kept in, or where the adults can go for some uninterrupted discussion. Activities in the main public space should be visible from this room, while adult conversation, reading, computer work, or listening to music can occur. Finally, the most private space is a special one which a person can call his or her own. This space is not shared and can be used for anything from a hobby to meditation. Whatever happens here, the other members of the family know that the person occupying it is in need of some time and space alone.

Unfortunately, many homes are built to keep not only the elements but any connection to the outside out of the home. Most of us, however, enjoy nature. And when our home doesn't make us feel a part of the surrounding landscape we feel constrained - confined to our artificial environment. Beyond the obvious addition of decks and windows, other spaces such as sunrooms, screened porches, and outdoor rooms properly integrated into the home and landscape naturally lead us to enjoy the surrounding environment whether in or out of the home. (The use of the same material or themes both indoor and out, especially in conjunction with a window placed adjacent to a perpendicular wall can make the separation between the indoor and outdoor almost disappear.) In addition, exceptional features of the landscape should be capitalized on when planning the orientation of the building and the placement of the doors or windows to create a view that is pleasant, interesting, relaxing, or inspiring.

While we have great architectural structures in commercial public spaces, the principles of architecture have somehow been neglected in the crafting of our homes. Although these are the places we spend the most important times of our lives, generally very little of our resources are spent on designing a place that will set an environment of well-being for our families. Far too often we live in places that we try to adapt to and work around, rather than places that work well for us, inspire us, comfort us, and help us to relax, unwind and connect and cultivate the bonds of family.

© Renovation Design Group LLC

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