KLPOA as a Leader in Wellness-Centered Design
KLPOA as a Leader in Wellness-Centered Design
At KLPOA, every project begins with a consideration of how to incorporate wellness into the design in a way that makes the space healthier, calmer, and more serene for the client and their loved-ones.
I have dedicated my architectural practice to pursuing Wellness-Centered Design. Every project that KLPOA takes on is first filtered through this lens, with the goal being to design not just the most beautiful building, but one that will promote true wellness for the client, their family, their friends, and the community at large.
Architecture, at all scales, including the residential scale, can be a force for good, not only aesthetically (although, we shouldn’t discount how important beauty is to our mental health) but also physiologically. Yet one of the most common questions I receive from prospective clients is: “What exactly is Wellness-Centered Design, and why does it matter?”
This article aims to clarify this concept and provide a brief overview of why Wellness-Centered Design is a critical factor to the success of your project.
Wellness Is Not Mere Absence of Illness
The most obvious place to start is with Hippocrates, the Ancient-Greek “Father of Medicine” whose Oath (still given to all doctors or doctors-to-be) contains the famous phrase “Primum non nocere” or “First, do no Harm”.
While architects do not swear an oath, we share a similar duty and are bound by our profession and licensing authorities to protect the “Health, Safety, and Welfare” of the public. Yet in practice, that responsibility is often simply reduced to mere physical safety; the mere prevention of collapse or physically dangerous features. The “Welfare” concept is rarely explored in greater depth.
Yet “Welfare” (as in the case of the triad of the Architect’s responsibilities) or “Wellness” (as in “Wellness-Centered”) does not simply mean the mere absence of dangerous conditions or physical illness. The World Health Organization defines Health to be “…a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
Following a similar vein, in 2022 UC Davis established the UC Davis Health Office of Wellness Education to promote Wellness to the public and move towards a holistic understanding of the concept. In an article titled “What is Wellness? Exploring 8 Dimensions of Well-Being” the author, Sky Hanka, speaks about common misconceptions regarding wellness, writing:
“Wellness is often misunderstood as simply being free of illness, but it’s really about making choices that help you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s an active process, where each decision you make adds up over time.”
(https://wellness.ucdavis.edu/article/what-is-wellness-exploring-8-dimensions-of-well-being/)
We can think of Wellness, therefore, as a pro-active and multi-faceted process of promoting full health for the individual and not just the mere prevention of harm, illness, or injury. Wellness-Centered Design likewise, is about designing environments that make these choices possible, and empowering clients to build spaces that promote health, calm, and serenity. Focusing on wellness enhances our overall performance in all areas of life and is a lifelong pursuit of continual improvement.
The Rise of Wellness Awareness
The good news is that in recent years there has been a much greater awareness of wellness as a concept and its importance to daily life. Particularly in the wake of the COVID Pandemic, many individuals have reexamined all aspects of their lives, from diet and exercise to air and water quality, to mental health and many other aspects.
The idea of wellness has moved far beyond diet and exercise. In recent years concepts like “forever chemicals” and “BPA-Free” have entered the mainstream consciousness with public awareness campaigns becoming commonplace. Throughout society consumers scrutinize ingredients and ask tough questions, seeking healthier alternatives.
There is, however, one critical factor that has so-far remained largely overlooked, the home itself.
Home: The Human Habitat
For better or worse, in the 21st century human beings are primarily indoor animals. We humans spend over 90% of our time indoors, between our homes, offices, stores, restaurants, and other places we frequent. We spend a third of our life asleep… meaning we spend almost a third of our life just in our bedrooms!
Our homes shape our daily rhythms and affect our lives on a deeply intimate level. Despite all this, how often do we consider the impact that our homes have on our health? A well designed home, with a wellness-focus, can support our long-term health in large and small ways; it can help us sleep better, manage stress, and feel restored.
Traditional design and architecture often prioritizes style; particular features such as a fancy kitchen or granite countertops, square footage, or even resell value, but it rarely asks the deeper question: how will this space make people feel day-to-day, year after year?
A growing body of research demonstrates links between various aspects of the built environment (air, water, light, acoustics, etc.) and human health. If you are going to build a new home or renovate your existing home, wouldn’t it be wise to consider the impact that that home is going to have on your health and the health of your family?
The Power of Small Changes
While it may seem daunting that our homes have such a large impact, we propose to look at this in a more positive and empowering light. Because so much time is spent indoors, any positive change, even seemingly small ones, can have a truly outsized impact.
Let's take the previously mentioned Bisphenol A, or BPA as an example. BPA is an industrial chemical used to make plastics including water-bottles or plastic food containers. There is research that shows that BPA can leech and be ingested into the human body and potentially cause a wide range of harmful health effects including fertility and reproductive issues. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, many people have chosen to limit their exposure to BPA by swapping their water-bottles or other food containers with BPA-free products.
Unfortunately, BPA is not just found in water-bottles or food containers, it is also commonly used in epoxy resins, which are utilized as a flooring material particularly in garages or basements. On a recent open-house tour, I noticed the finished basement was coated in an epoxy flooring system. It is likely (and we cannot know for sure because building materials are not required to disclose their ingredients) that this floor system contains BPA. This basement, while admittedly appearing “clean” can unknowingly expose individuals to a chemical that they’re otherwise attempting to avoid as they walk around or as children play on the floor.
Sadly, numerous other wellness factors exist in our home. From water quality, to indoor air quality, to quantity and type of artificial and natural light, to numerous other questionable building materials, to mold and mildew risks, the home can sadly often be actively harmful to our health. The normal way of doing things is simply not optimized for wellness, and building codes provide very minimal oversight in this arena.
Thankfully, by making thoughtful choices, especially when building or renovating our homes, we can truly drive positive change for ourselves and our loved-ones.
Working With KLPOA on a Wellness-Centered Project
My Practice, KLPOA, maintains a strong stance on Wellness-Centered Design; it is the key to everything that we do, and each project, no matter the type, no matter the size, benefits from that focus. Wellness-Centered Design is not a checklist or a trend. It’s the foundation of the practice.
KLPOA integrates science-based principles and best practices drawn from leaders like the International WELL Building Institute and adapts them to the unique goals, budgets, and lifestyles of each client. No two families are alike, and each client has individual needs that are important to them. Whether designing a renovation, a new custom residence, or a multi-unit dwelling, our process remains the same: to listen carefully, to collaborate openly, and to translate the idea of “wellness” into tangible, livable architecture.
Doing so we craft spaces that don’t simply look exceptional, but feel exceptional too.
If you’re ready to begin this process, we can’t wait to meet you.