Building For Health
Bau-Biologie
Two concepts underpin my Healing Home designs. The first is Bau-Biologie or literally translated “Building Biology.” It is a specialized branch of Building Science that focuses on Human Health. It arose as a formal discipline in the 1960’s when the declining health of people living in European post World War II homes was first observed. These were people who for the first time were living in structures built from synthetic, petrochemically-based materials.
There are two fundamental principles that underscore its study: Balance and Nature. That is, your home is healthiest and most in balance when built with materials that come from the natural world.
Not So Big
The second concept that underpin my healthy home designs is "Not So Big". In 2001, architect Sarah Susanka wrote a bellwether book entitled The Not So Big House. It immediately resonated with me. The book was prescient because 7 years later the Housing Bubble/ Great Recession of the late aughts was upon us and the average size of a new American home actually decreased.
As I began my own quest for building healthy, I decided to incorporate many ‘Not So Big’ design elements into my homes. These design elements do not necessarily have a direct link to health, but when executed together, they lay the groundwork for a home’s occupants to be happy and content—a major prerequisite for living in a healthy home.
My new home designs are 2,000-2,400 sq ft. with room to expand. Obviously larger than the size of the Tiny House pictured, but much smaller than the 4,400 sq ft. McMansions they are meant to replace without compromising a sense of space and place.