SOOTHING THE SENSES
Designing for wellness
Wellness is pretty much top of mind for most people around the globe at the moment, and that includes those who design for the home.
The way our homes are designed, along with the colours, materials and products we surround ourselves with, influence how we feel and our overall sense of well-being, says designer Cindy Rendely of Toronto-based Cindy Rendely Architexture.
Designing for wellness doesn't have to be challenging, says Rendely; you simply need to have access to natural light and blur the boundaries between inside and outside living spaces.
Bringing light and natural elements into any project, big or small, can be done on any budget, she says, with thoughtful placement of windows that allow direct access to natural light and exterior views.
Expansive windows, strategically located in walls or ceilings, allow occupants to feel connected to their surroundings. Focusing on simple design strategies, she says, creates a heightened sense of calm.
Natural materials, which are inherently rich in texture, grain and colour, create a sense of wellness in the home environment, she says, and are a better option than just going with what's on-trend.
“Soft tones, faint washes of colour and simple translucent glass can reduce the visual noise within a space to create a sense of calm that has its own wow factor,” says Rendely.
It is harder to create spaces that feel calm and chaos-free in builtup urban environments than designing homes in rural settings, says Alessandro Munge of Toronto-based Studio Munge.
He says it can be achieved with good design, referring to one of their projects — Toronto's Nobu Hotel & Residences.
“We designed a lush landscaped communal terrace and pierced the podium to allow natural light to penetrate the building's core,” he says.
For the wellness centre, on the level below, they designed a reflective pond, enclosed within a circular glass atrium, which acts as a stage for all the different seasons, says Munge, like “sunshine shimmering on the water, rain bouncing on the surface, or snow softy melting away.”
Light is emotive, says Munge, and it's something he and his design team spend a great deal of time considering for their projects.
Because natural lighting varies so much, depending on location and availability, they often use indirect glowing cove lighting to elevate the experience and create a warm, inviting environment, he says.
When it comes to designing for wellness, it is a personal thing, says Munge, and what makes one person feel happy and uplifted might differ significantly from someone else. It's not a one size fits all type scenario.
For some, wellness is a sense of safety; for others, it is about lavish luxury and entertainment, he says, and for a recent client, it was about privacy and an escape from urban chaos.
It's essential to select components that entice the senses. “Textiles, wood, ceramic, stone, all have different core temperatures and feel texturally different when touched, producing various emotional responses. So we study and layer every room to create that rich, tactile experience. A smell can be an instrumental element to create a mood — for example, the cedar scent in a sauna,” adds Munge.
Vancouver-based Backcountry Hut Company (BHC) is focused on the wellness-giving properties of saunas and combines this functionality with cutting-edge design.
The result is their recently released System S, which is made in Ontario and designed for Canada's harsh winters.
The sauna is a compact design that seats six, is made from sustainably sourced cedar and clad with durable painted steel. It comes fully assembled and just requires electrical hook-up, says BHC co-founder Wilson Edgar, and is perfect for many of their clients who love escaping to their cabins or getaway pads.
“After skiing or hiking, whatever the activity is during the day, to be able to come back and have a sauna and a good meal with friends in your cabin is a fabulous sort of experience,” he says.
BCH focuses on reducing waste, says Edgar, so they spent three years developing this design to ensure the sauna can go the distance. “We want it to be beautiful for a very long time,” he says.