Our homes should support our biology

Everything in this universe exists in relationship, through interdependence, interaction, and constant exchange.

Every living system responds to and influences the systems around it. Every entity, every element, has its own dynamics, rhythms, and energies.

Our homes are no exception. They, too, have their own biology.

And yet, much of the built environment, particularly over the past several decades, has given insufficient consideration to this relationship: to the biology of a space, to what we need as human beings, and to how these needs can be translated into the creation of our homes.

As a result, we often find ourselves, without even realizing it, adapting and compensating for environments that do not fully support us.

Our bodies are constantly responding to the spaces we inhabit. To environments that can overstimulate us, deplete us, or fail to provide the conditions we need to maintain our inner balance.

And this reaches far beyond what we might initially consider.

The quality and intensity of light. The materials and objects that surround us, and the substances they release into our environment. The quality of the air we breathe. Our relationship to movement and the outdoors. Humidity levels, temperature, acoustics, the absence or excess of stimulation of all kinds, and so much more.

These conditions can have profound effects on our well-being.

Our homes should respond to this understanding.

And because many existing spaces were not designed with these considerations in mind, I believe there are different ways we can begin to shift our relationship with the environments we inhabit.

The first is through the habits we weave into our daily lives and our homes.

By making small, intentional changes that can already have a meaningful impact.

Then, gradually, through more substantial interventions: remodeling existing spaces, and eventually creating new homes that integrate the body of knowledge developed by the many experts who have dedicated their work to understanding the relationship between humans and their environments.

But we don't need to wait for a complete renovation to begin.

We can start where we are, with what we have, and with the choices available to us.

This is something I feel is so important, and so necessary, that we begin to approach it with greater awareness and care. To move beyond trends and the misunderstandings they can sometimes create, while also bringing a sense of lightness to the process.

Because it is possible to shift many things in our daily lives that can, in turn, shift the biology of our homes into something that better supports our own biology.