For 27 years our focus has always been on enriching the way people live, work and play through architecture.
Avenues
Flourishing Through Architecture
April 2023
Our built environment can impact dramatically on our physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing. People are shaped by the spaces they inhabit.
As architects, we look to design spaces that positively contribute to how we live and feel, creating enriching spaces that evoke positive human emotion.
So how do we do this?
Firstly, we try not to make people sick! VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are found in many modern materials such as glues, urethanes and paints, and can be emitted into the atmosphere. Fortunately, now there are many product alternatives that do not release these chemicals. Providing healthy homes and buildings has become a focus of architects.
If we can open up our buildings more to the outside we can reap the benefits of fresh air, sunshine and a connection with the surrounding environment. In our temperate climate this is often achievable, however challenges need to be overcome in the central city where noise, security and pollution can be a problem.
Outside urban environments we may not need walls at all. At Te Waonui Forest Retreat in Franz Josef, we provided no walls to the stairwells and corridors to the rooms so guests can experience the sounds, sights and smells of the surrounding bush to its fullest – but we did provide a roof to protect from the rain.
These connections with the outdoors and nature have been proven to improve our health, and they form the underlying principles of Biophilic Design.
Other Biophilic Design architectural strategies include the utilisation of natural materials and the patterns of nature into the architecture and décor, and bringing plants indoors, as per the green wall at The George Hotel.
To truly flourish, we need to live in the moment and be open to different feelings and experiences. Architecture can help set the scene.
Sometimes we want to feel enclosed, safe and secure, like sitting beside the fireplace at the Frond Bar at Te Waonui.
At other times we may want to be more exposed and open to the elements, like standing out on the pier deck over the Avon Heathcote Estuary/Ihutai at the Water House.
Lastly, having a sense of place created by being connected to the environment, the local community and our past can help us make sense of our world and provide meaning to our lives. Architects create spaces to allow and enhance these positive connections which are good for our health overall and help us to flourish as human beings.
