Architecture has always been a champion of Green and healthy living design. Minnesotans recognize the benefits of a strong connection with nature as seen by the many parks and green spaces in our communities. Biophilic design is one aspect of green design that promotes increased natural light and ventilations, enhanced user control and physical comfort, and natural and nature-like materials to improve user mental and physical well-being. Our connections with nature are present daily, from the views out of our windows to the landscaping and gardens we tend. Clever Architecture’s recent single-family residence represents the biophilic design philosophy in action. Early on in the project the family identified a want to be stewards for their land and nature. We designed a home that is nestled between large wooded wetlands that are home to diverse flora and fauna. The single level residence was designed to minimize flood impact while maximizing natural light with a roof height that was below the tree canopy. Windows that extend closer to the floor allow for increased natural light while a lower roof reduces negative impacts on the local fowl community, which a taller home would have presented. These design decisions help reinforce the context of the home within the landscape while aiding in building a more inviting and nature conscientious project. The biopic design principles used in this project mirror Minnesotan values and show why a strong connection to nature is essential now.
Clever Architecture is committed to crafting spaces that respond to users and nature. We focus on your personal journey to design spaces that respond to your life. We work to understand what your typical day looks like and your path through it. We learn about what spaces inspire you, or could be improved, to develop your lifestyle solutions and improvements. Our team balances biophilic design with your vision to deliver a space that connects you to nature and improves wellbeing.
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Our communities will have to learn to live with the Covid 19 virus for some time and in this process we will transform our built environment into a safe and healthy place. Clever Architecture will strive to improve indoor air quality, increase accessibility for everybody, embrace nature, and rediscover the benefits of biophilia. Individual actions like wearing masks, trying to stay six feet apart or diligent wiping counters with disinfectant towelettes are important but are not enough to release us from the virus's grip. Hazard controls like Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), Administrative Controls like social distancing and Engineering Controls like ventilation are all types of “mitigations” and they are stackable. The more mitigations we have available the more effective they become. We want to use all the tools and resources available to us in order to make our world safe for ourselves and our loved ones.
Improving ventilation is critical because rapid dilution of viral build-up in indoor air is very effective in diminishing the ineffective qualities of the virus. We want to bring in fresh air from the outdoors by opening windows and doors where possible and increasing air exchange in more complex buildings. We also want to filter at appropriate levels and add UV disinfection to interior spaces. We will add substantial partitions (not temporary plastic corrals) to create contained, controlled and treatable pools of air. We will install “touchless” doors, lighting and other fixtures to make it possible to move through these spaces, decreasing risk of contamination. These improvements will have the secondary effects of improving our acoustic space, making the built environment accessible to everyone and creating more hygienic spaces in general. We will even likely see handwashing stations installed in entry ways and where we find water fountains. As outdoor air is the safest air to breath we will spend more time in nature and design means to make it accessible and to conserve it. We will create intermediary spaces that are truly transitional operating as both indoor and outdoor spaces. We will bring the outdoors, nature, into our indoor spaces. We will find ourselves living in a less polluted, quieter, accessible more natural place. It's going to be good. Finally we will perfect working remotely and even this has already proven to have the secondary effect of improving our outdoor air quality. Residential construction and remodeling projects are increasing because most of us are spending more time together. The places we inhabit need to be updated to accommodate new and diverse uses or we have revealed a need for more space to get away from those we are closest to. Either way it is more important now than ever to understand our relationships between our communities and nature. We are at a point where our routines have started to naturally form after six months of uncertainty due to Covid 19. The resulting confidence is creating increased demand for building materials as we tackle professional and DIY upgrades to offices, learning spaces, home gyms, and workshops to name a few. Creating and recreating our living environments increases well being and can be enhanced even more by incorporating biophilic design principles into a project. Architecture has always been a champion of Green and healthy living design. Biophilic design is one aspect that promotes increased natural light and ventilations, enhanced user control and physical comfort, and natural and nature-like materials to improve user mental and physical well-being. Our connections with nature are present daily, from the views out of our windows to the landscaping and gardens we tend. Our clients recently constructed home represents biophilic design philosophy in action. Early on in the project the family identified a want to be stewards for their land and nature. We designed a home that is located between large wooded areas that are home to diverse flora and fauna. The single level residence was designed to maximize natural light with a roof height that was below the tree canopy. Windows that extend closer to the floor allow for increased natural light while a lower roof height reduces the negative impact on the local fowl community, which a taller home would have presented. These design decisions help reinforce the context of the home within the landscape while aiding in building a more sustainable and nature conscientious project. Clever Architecture is committed to crafting spaces that respond to users and nature. We focus on your personal journey to design spaces that respond to your life. We work to understand what your typical day looks like and your path through it. We learn about what spaces inspire you, or could be improved, to develop your lifestyle solutions and improvements. Our team balances biophilic design with your vision to deliver a space that connects you to nature and improves well being.
At home or in the office, how we work has changed. Some people may return to fully staffed work environments where others may stay at home. But in most cases there will be changes to what our offices look like and how they respond to employees needs. We crafted a co working concept for a client that uses biophilic design principles. The results were a space that maximizes natural light while maintaining individual privacy, balances work stations and social areas to promote controlled collaboration, and utilizes natural, and nature-like, materials to encourage creativity and aid in wayfinding. The layout of the space was designed in such a way that users have control over common areas, which can adjust from individual meeting areas to a single presentation space. The design also incorporates active elements including adjustable height desks, treadmill, and stationary peddling accessories to promote health brain and body functions. Incorporating biophilic designs resulted in a concept that promotes improved well-being and productivity for users.
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