Southface Institute: Blog

Creating buildings with the perfect balance of natural and artificial light can make a big difference in occupants’ health and well-being. One approach called daylight modeling finds the optimal use …

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We spend nearly 90% of our time indoors, making it important to understand the emotional benefits of our everyday spaces. Incorporating biophilic design into our buildings engages our senses and allows us to be more mindfully present. Some ways to more successfully support our overall well-being in the built environment include integrating diverse space types, fostering a sensory experience and celebrating the passage of time.

Biophilic design is a principle behind Hope and Will’s Room, a playroom showcasing how spaces impact our health, which was on display in the Southeast Design Showroom, hosted by Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, in Atlanta earlier this year.

"Hope and Will's Room," located on the terrace level, is the result of thoughtful collaboration between Rabaut Design Associates and Southface. The room increases public awareness of the impact our buildings have on our wellbeing by implementing evidence-based design standards such as biophilic design for improved health, and by specifying no- to low-VOC and Red List Free items to minimize exposure to harsh chemicals.

The carpet chosen for the Home Depot Foundation Training Center comes from another line of beautifully designed carpets – the Human Nature Collection. The design for the room starts out with a pebbled surface and then gradually transitions into a smoother texture – just as one would find in nature standing on a river’s edge.

By disrupting the journey of hardwood trunks from urban tree services to waste, Eutree fulfills a market need for sustainably-produced flooring and other hardwood pieces, while reducing the burden on landfills. By choosing timber that is already cut down by tree removal services, the company reduces habitat destruction, loss of tree canopy and other environmental costs.