THE GOOD THING Journal

NATHALIE SLEIMAN x The Good Thing Journal

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 20:04:42 GMT

NATHALIE SLEIMAN

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

I am a designer with a background in Law, and I am currently undertaking the last year a Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology. I have the honor to educate, interview and coach people about Positive Psychology and Neuroarchitecture.

I have been doing research in behavioural neurosciences utilizing qualitative methods/ interviews, with prominent figures in Neuroscience, and Psychology .

I am a hyphenated identity, born in Lebanon and raised in Colombia. I have lived most of my life between Dubai, France, Austria, Germany, and now Spain. Proven to blend well with different types of cultures, yet seeking my roots in every place I lived.

I believe:

I believe that coherence in design makes us feel better and promotes our growth as conscious human beings. I believe that awe is a key emotion, to be elicited through design elements that fascinate us.

I want to live in a world where architects and designers use psychology to support the inhabitants of space. This is what I know for sure, a great design should embody the memories and longings of the inhabitant of the space.

Nathalie's good tips:

A good event

Definitely an event with people that inspires you, and promotes a healthy nervous system

A good object

An object that reminisces your childhood memories and has a positive emotional effect on your emotions every time you look at it.

A good spot

Nature, the effect of nature in our nervous system is absolutely priceless, in my case the forest is my special spot.

A good discovery

Mirror neurons, discovered by Neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti, demonstrated how these neurons could help explain how and why we "read" other people's minds and feel empathy for them.

A good one to follow

Carl Jung

A good reading

Juhani Pallasmaa’s 'The eyes of the skin'

Photo credits: 0-Nathalie Slieman, 2- 'Brother and sister' © Thomas Hawk

Photo credits: 1-Marcela Vargas + Frida Kahlo. via pinterest; 2-Rothko, Untitled via MoMa.org; 3-Barefeet on a beach via floreseneldesierto.blogspot.com ; 4- White matter fiber architecture via www.humanconnectomeproject.org ; 5-Hiking Iceland via i nstagram.com/lyesk ; The Source via amazon.com

Featured on Livingetc

183:771001340 (Pati Santos) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 14:04:10 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Jan 19, 2021

Architect Pati Santos on design choices that help our circadian rhythm

By Fleur Britten, Livingetc

The importance of synchronising our circadian rhythm (the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle) with natural light isn't just about encouraging a good night's sleep- it helps regulate many biological processes, such as hormone production, digestion, mental health and the reproductive system. Ideally, you want to wake early in the morning and decrease your activity in the evening, and not be exposed to blue light at least two hours before bedtime. Prolonged exposure inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.

.... Read the article at L ivingetc

Health & Well-being in your ESG strategy

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 15:29:54 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Text data: ‘Prioritize health in your ESG strategy with WELL’

How can The Good Thing help you meet ESG strategy?

In this fast changing world, it has never been more relevant for companies to prioritise their main asset: the health and wellness of their team.

Environmental, Social and Governance investing is gaining momentum as investors are demanding accountability from corporations. For example, 70% of millennials are making investment decisions based on sustainability factors or 73% of CFOs in the 1000 are feeling pressure to act on climate change and social justice. ESG funds captured $51.1b of net new money from investors in 2020, a record and more than double the prior year. Focusing on health and well-being strategies in your projects will generate returns for investors, maximize human and social capital performance and will help to control health costs and reduce losses.

At ‘The Good Thing’, talking about ESG is not just showing a bunch of words on our services brochure. We take it very seriously and we trust this is also what our clients are expecting from us. As architects and WELL Accredited Professionals we can help you to achieve the highest standards of health, well-being and sustainability in your projects.

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation on a mission to transform health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities around the world. Backed by the latest scientific research, WELL includes strategies that aim to advance health by setting performance standards for design interventions, operational protocols and policies and a commitment to fostering a culture of health and well-being. WELL is aligned with leading ESG and sustainability frameworks like GRI, GRESB and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Companies that prioritize employee health across their physical spaces, policies and operational protocols are winning the future. Your company has a choice in both the nature and degree of the actions it takes in response to these challenges and in support of healthy, resilient communities. There is an obvious increasing need that can’t be ignored and a great opportunity for you to take a leadership role in creating positive change. This can be done hiring the right team to design a building for employee well-being as one of your company’s goals.

ANUPAMA KUNDOO x The Good Thing Journal

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 09:14:46 GMT

ANUPAMA KUNDOO

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

I am an architect and educator. I see our built environment as the physical stage on which all human stories are lived out. This physical stage is the historical and ongoing manifestation of the human imagination operating within real (or imaginary!) constraints.

I have tried to advance the idea that the architectural imagination must transcend design and enter the realms of materials science and economics, where some of the bigger questions reside. The thrust of my inquiries has been to find practical ways to fulfil the universal human aspiration for refuge, purpose and social commitment. My hope is that this work inspires others to ask yet more questions so that together we can build an environmentally and economically responsible stage on which more uplifting human stories can be told.

I believe:

I believe that there is no absolute scarcity of time. What we have is a scarcity of initiative and imagination (brought about by overbearing mechanistic processes) to challenge a system designed to produce and consume at speed. I take my cues from nature — adapt, evolve, accept imperfection, and give and receive in abundance.

Anupama's good tips:

A good event

Reunions with loved ones.

A good object

‘Achkal’ pre-industrial Brickmould from Tamil Nadu.

A good spot

Any of the stepped wells of India.

A good discovery

The interesting thing about the time value of money is that it nudges us towards code-based design and the industrialized production of building components and, sometimes, even entire buildings themselves. So what if you often get ugliness at an urban scale? At least you get it quickly...

A good one to follow

The future that beckons.

A good reading

Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space.

Photo credits: 0-Anupama Kundoo ©Andreas Deffner; 1-©Charlotte Wales; 2- Anupama Kundoo; 3-Brick Well © Steve McCurry ; 4- © Jonathan Webb 5- Space, NASA

MATT ASPIOTIS MORLEY x The Good Thing Journal

Thu, 27 May 2021 14:35:51 GMT

MATT ASPIOTIS MORLEY

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

A creative advisor on wellbeing and sustainability for the real estate, hotel and gym sectors based between Barcelona, Spain and London, UK. I am a certified green & healthy building professional and a natural health & fitness expert with a specialism in creating biophilic wellness spaces such as fitness studios and corporate offices. I am co-founder of BioBlu sustainable yachting, founder of Biofilico Healthy Buildings and founder of Biofit Health & Fitness. His podcast series ' Green & Healthy Places ' explores themes of sustainability and wellness in real estate and hospitality.

I believe:

There is a fundamental need to reintroduce nature into our increasingly urban existence to create a more harmonious state of co-existence with the world around us rather than the current, short-sighted dominance of one over the other. Through strategies such as biophilic design, healthy buildings and wellness interiors we can combine both wellbeing and sustainability in our built environment, balancing concerns for people and planet, without compromising on profit-oriented, bottom-line prerogatives.

Matt's good tips:

A good event

Smart City Expo World Congress

Barcelona, 16-18 November 2021

A good object

NOHrD Bike

Indoor cycle.

A good spot

Barcelona Pavilion design by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich as the German Pavilion for the Barcelona International Exhibition, held on Montjuïc in 1929.

A good discovery

Flowers by Bornay , one of the best floral art workshops in the world.

A good one to follow

Openhouse , a magazine that meets creative people around the world who open their homes and private spaces to the public.

Instagram: @openhousemagazine

A good reading

' Chief Wellbeing Officer ' by Dr Steven MacGregor

ANNE PINGREOUN x The Good Thing Journal

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 08:50:18 GMT

ANNE-LAURE PINGREOUN

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

Anne-Laure Pingreoun a design curator and the founder of Alternative Thinkers and also AlterProjects , a multidisciplinary company with the aim to connect brands, estates, districts, property developers and institutions with creative talents to produce thoughtful, unprecedented work through a series of collaborations.

After 15 years working in marketing and design for lead creative agencies, I saw an opportunity to create something more lasting and meaningful. Brokering mutually beneficial collaborations I work as a strategist, curator and producer to help brands and estates disrupt and innovate while simultaneously enabling creators to actualise their dreams and to exceed the limits of their practice..

I believe:

That we need alternative creative thinkers to help generate a more inclusive and mindful future.

Anne-Laure's good tips:

A good event

London Design Biennale

Somerset House, 1-27 June 2021

A good object

Sunne by Marjan Van Aubel

Sunne is a self-powered solar light that captures, stores and produces light indoors.

A good spot

Dartmoor , Devon.

Dartmoor National Park is one of the last great wildernesses in the UK with an inspirational landscape of heather clad moors and rugged tors.

A good discovery

Shedlife in Australia.

A good one to follow

Estefania Loret de Mola for your daily inspiration.

A good reading

' Happy by Design ', Ben Channon

DR. TARA SWART x The Good Thing Journal

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 20:37:28 GMT

DR. TARA SWART

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

Tara Swart, a neuroscientist, medical doctor, executive advisor, Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan, Author of bestseller 'The Source - Open Your Mind, Change Your Life' , Brand Ambassador for Aromatherapy Associates, and Chief Science Officer at Heights (a brain care supplement). But without all those titles I’m fundamentally a chameleon, philosopher and free spirit.

I believe:

Our neural architecture, basically our brain and nervous system, are our primary focus and responsibility to build and nurture in life.

Dr. Tara's good tips:

A good event

Spontaneous laughter with a friend. Nothing is better for our wellbeing than the bonding effects of the hormone oxytocin.

A good object

A beautiful, evocative piece of art. To me this is mindfulness at it’s peak

A good spot

Barefoot on a beach or snuggled up with a loved one. One is the ultimate luxury; the other is a place of love and protection you can always go to.

A good discovery

Neuroplasticity - the incredible power to change and strengthen your brain throughout life.

A good one to follow

Your passion and purpose. I have learnt through experience that if you follow your passion and know your purpose, you will be successful.

A good reading

I’m going to be cheeky and say my book 'The Source’. It combines science with spirituality and provides a manifesto for changing your brain and taking agency over your life.

Podcast: Green & Healthy Places 009

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 19:40:52 GMT

Podcast: Green & Healthy Places 009

Feb 08, 2021

Green & Healthy Places 009: Wellness architecture with Pati Santos, The Good Thing

The ‘Green & Healthy Places’ podcast series takes a deep-dive into the role of sustainability, wellbeing and community in real estate, offices, hotels and educational facilities.

Listen here .

Pati worked with world renowned landscape architects Lily and Charles Jencks for many years where she developed an interest in environmental psychology and biophilic design, eventually certifying in the WELL Building Standard and setting up her own practice.

We discuss the distinction between design components and operational policies within the WELL system; the role of natural and toxin-free materials in creating green and healthy buildings, the potential of timber in constructing urban buildings, the connection between sustainability and wellness within a client's brief, the benefits of circadian lighting systems, the new WELL Health & Safety Seal as a response from commercial real estate to the Covid crisis and the shift toward healthier, greener homes equipped for both work and exercise.

RODRIGO GONZALEZ x The Good Thing

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 16:35:33 GMT

RODRIGO GONZALEZ

X

The Good Thing Journal

Photographer: Antonio Olmos/ The Observer

I am:

A designer, architect, and amateur actor with an interest in creating, growing, and bouncing ideas. I am co-founder of Notpla , a startup with the mission of making plastic packaging disappear by pioneering the use of seaweed as a sustainable material. Our first product is an edible package that can contain water or any other liquid. Nowadays, it is used in several sports events like the London Marathon or Roland-Garros.

I believe:

In sharing

Rodrigo's good tips:

A good event

A show of the Familie Floz

A good object

B otijo

A good spot

La Cova Fumada

A good discovery

Bioluminescence dinoflagellates

A good one to follow

@davehakkens

A good reading

This is not a book , Jean Jullien

Featured on The Telegraph

183:771001340 (Pati Santos) — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 13:22:40 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Jan 19, 2021

How to turn your home into a haven of health

By Jessica Salter, The Telegraph

... Just as the health of our bodies and minds has become increasingly important, so, too, is the health of our homes. “Most of us are very conscious when it comes to nutrition and fitness,” Pati Santos, the Riba-qualified architect, says. “We try eating healthily, exercising and even meditating, but have we thought about the impact that the built environment has on our physical and mental health?”

As founder of The Good Thing (thegoodthing.co.uk), an architecture and interior design practice dedicated to “wellbeing” design – an increasingly popular concept – it is something Santos considers with every project. And she thinks that as we are increasingly spending more time in our homes, that we should, too. “It seems obvious to me that we should aim for our homes to be environments that enhance our wellbeing, or at least to not be harmful for us,” she says.

.... Read the whole article at The Telegraph

Space availability/standards in homes and impact on residents’ wellbeing

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 14:14:44 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

undefined

Jan 19, 2021

Commerce Road Estate. Image @notreallyobsessive

The UK is home to the smallest new built dwellings and its average room size is the smallest in Europe. ‘Shoebox Britain’ has been coined to describe the housing crisis and there is increasing social, environmental and health inequalities amongst urban communities. 20% of the current UK housing stock falls short of the mark when it comes to meeting decent home standards (1) , costing the NHS £2.5 billion every year (2) . Poor housing has acted as the catalyst for social inequity where the bottom line of society suffers the most with regards to quality of life and wellbeing.

Healthy housing, which can be defined as a place in which supports physical, mental and social wellbeing for its occupants, must meet basic needs. There is increasing evidence to show that lack of space can have an impact on overall wellbeing where basic lifestyle needs are not met such as storage for possessions or the flexibility to entertain. In more extreme cases, the lack of space has in turn had significant impacts on health, childhood development and social relationships (3) .

Associations between housing quality and health are being made with connections to morbidity from infectious disease and chronic illnesses including possible effects of space standards on the health, wellbeing of families and educational accomplishment of children (4) . Previous research has shown that with regards to space the key problems have been the overall amount, space for storage including space for furniture and entertainment (5) with up to 33% of residents feeling dissatisfied with the overall space in their homes.

Spatial standards have tended to follow changes in the political and economic climate with sensitivities to changing needs of the public. These spatial standards have developed in definition over the years (see figure 1), with the Tudor Walters Report (1918) being the first to acknowledge housing quality with a set of minimum space standards. Reports produced by HATC and Parker Morris Committee are still used to help dictate planning of space based on basic activities. Throughout the years, pressures of building more homes more quickly have meant tensions have arisen between developers and minimum space standards. It is not new news that due to systemic ‘barriers’ to house building, the first thing that is in the firing line for politicians is spatial standards to help alleviate the pressure to deliver (6) .

One of the key criticisms of the minimum space standards is that developers have tended to use these guidelines as a maximum and building houses that are not fit for purpose. There is also research that infers that increasing floor standards has little to no financial impact on delivery of homes (7) .

In conclusion, existing housing stock should be reviewed for its adherence to spatial standards and regulation on minimum spatial standards introduced for all new developments to ensure spaces are futureproof, flexible and enable social equity for all occupiers.

Reference

1. BRE. J. Piddington, S. Nicol, H. Garrett, M. Custard. The Housing Stock of The United Kingdom. 2020.

2. BRE. S. Nicol, M. Roys, H. Garrett. The cost of poor housing to the NHS. 2010

3. RIBA. R. Roberts-Hughes. The Case for Space – the size of England’s New Homes. 2011.

4. UCL. B.Clifford, P. Canelas, J. Ferm, N. Livingstone, A. Lord, R. Dunning. Research into the quality standard of homes delivered through change of use permitted development rights. 2020; CABE. M. Carmona, N. Gallent, R. Sarkar. Housing standards: evidence and research, Space standards: the benefits. 2010.

5. CABE. A. Drury, G. Welch, N. Allen. Resident satisfaction with space in the home. 2009.

6. Levitt Bernstein. J. Park. One hundred years of housing space standards – What now? 2017.

7. GLA. David Lock Associates, Hoare Lea, Gardiner and Theobald. Housing Standards Review Viability Assessment Final Report. 2015.

The UK is home to the smallest new built dwellings and its average room size is the smallest in Europe. ‘Shoebox Britain’ has been coined to describe the housing crisis and there is increasing social, environmental and health inequalities amongst urban communities. 20% of the current UK housing stock falls short of the mark when it comes to meeting decent home standards (1) , costing the NHS £2.5 billion every year ( 2) . Poor housing has acted as the catalyst for social inequity where the bottom line of society suffers the most with regards to quality of life and wellbeing.

ALICE RAWSTHORN x The Good Thing

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 22:56:47 GMT

ALICE RAWSTHORNE

X

The Good Thing Journal

Photographer: Michael Leckie

I am:

A writer on design, whose books include Hello World: Where Design Meets Life and, most recently, Design as an Attitude. My weekly design column for The New York Times was syndicated worldwide for over a decade. Born in Manchester and based in London, I am chair of the boards of trustees at The Hepworth Wakefield art gallery in Yorkshire and Chisenhale Gallery in London, and a founding member of the Writers for Liberty campaign for human rights and freedoms. My latest project is Design Emergency, a collaboration with Paola Antonelli, senior design curator at MoMA, with which we are investigating design’s response to the Covid-19 crisis and its role in redesigning and reconstructing our lives in the future.

I believe:

That design is one of the most powerful tools that can help us to address complex ecological, social, political, economic and technological challenges.

Alice's good tips:

A good event

Thao Nguyen Phan at Chisenhale Gallery

A good object

Dry stone wall

A good spot

The Hepworth Wakefield Garden

A good discovery

Helen Marten’s first novel The Boiled in Between

A good one to follow

Mariam Kamara of Atelier Masomi on architecture in Niger @mariamkamr

A good reading

Denise Riley, S elected Poems

MATALI CRASSET x The Good Thing

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 18:07:24 GMT

MATALI CRASSET

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

An industrial designer based in Paris, who spent her childhood in a small village in the north of France, in a farm where work and life were intimately bound. I work with a clean methodology in which I question the evidence of the codes that governs our daily life to free ourselves and to experiment new typologies articulated around principles as modularity, appropriation, flexibility, network. My work refuses the pure shape, conceiving itself like a research in movement, made of hypotheses more than of principles. I collaborate with eclectic universes, from the handicraft to the electronic music, from the scenography to the furniture, from the graphics to the interor architecture.

I believe:

Colour is life

Matali's good tips:

A good event

Birth

A good object

Brain

A good spot

A spot with good friends

A good discovery

Breath

A good one to follow

Intuition

A good reading

Ce à quoi nous tenons

Author: Emilie Hache

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:19:08 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Image © Doan Ly via Trendland

Did you know Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are chemical substances that are not only in your food or personal care products? They are in the built environment, including your home, and most of them persist when they are released and they never disappear.

The endocrine system, which consists of hormone-secreting glands, produces chemical compounds to regulate many bodily processes, such as immunity, growth, metabolism, digestion, reproduction and mood.

EDCs can interfere, disrupt or mimic hormones having adverse effects in your body and could produce metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cancer and endometriosis just to name a few.

Yesterday, EDC-Free Europe launched a policy paper “Key recommendations for a reformed European regulatory framework on endocrine disrupting chemicals" to contribute to an effective reform of the EU legislative framework in order to protect people and the environment against endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Where might I find EDCs in my home?

Flame retardant chemicals are used in fabrics (curtains, rugs, sofas…) and insulation.

Plasticizers (orthophthalates) act as binding agents and also make plastics flexible.

Are used in flexible vinyl products like wall and floor coverings, pipes and many fragrances.

Stain repellents, also known as PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) are normally used in frying pans, rain jackets and carpets to repel liquids.

Bisphenol A (BPA) can be found in many plastics.

These chemicals are also used in many common household products and collect in your household dust. It is recommended to clean frequently dusting with a damp microfiber cloth and using a vacuum with HEPA filter to trap small particles.

Using the WELL Building Standard in our designs we help to maintain healthy endocrine functions by encouraging healthy nutrition, mitigating stress, and lowering or eliminating environmental health hazards in the air and water.

Do you want to know more? Book a consultation with us.

EDEN: Breathe what you sow

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 16:33:03 GMT

Delighted to have attended the opening of ‘EDEN’, designed by HagenHinderdael in partnership with Grosvenor Britain & Ireland and Artistic Statements. EDEN, is an installation, at Halkin Arcade in Belgravia, that invites people to interact planting seeds or just relax and heal.

The installation, which peacefully blends in with its surroundings, fosters the importance of natural urban green spaces through an interactive experience accessible for anyone. With an emphasis on wellbeing, community, and sustainability EDEN brings awareness to the fact that we need to restore our relationship with nature as our support system. The installation has been made with reclaimed timber and all its elements will be distributed and re-purposed ensuring an eco-friendly afterlife.

As HagenHinderdael says, ‘Healthy natural environments are our support system, reducing the rates of physical and emotional illnesses and strengthening our body’s defence. Human preferences toward things in nature, while refined through experience and culture, are largely the product of biological evolution. A vigorous and diverse natural environment has a direct impact on our very own health, but in order to be regenerated by nature we need to reconnect and make an effort to nourish it in return.

By creating a natural micro-ecosystem, EDEN emphasises the most low-tech, sustainable and possibly the most effective thing we can do to contribute to a healthy environment and life: Plant Seeds.’

EDEN will be up from the 4th September - 31st October 2020. More information here

EDEN: THE TEAM

HagenHinderdael , Sofia Hagen & Lisa Hinderdael - Installation Design / Creative Direction Artistic Statements, Zoë Allen - Art Consultant / Project Director The Grosvenor Group - Partner OOO, Out of Order Design - Fabrication Studio

CLGC, Central London Garden Company - Horticulturists and Plant Suppliers Solowood Recycling - Reclaimed Timber Suppliers

Image courtesy of HagenHinderdael

Visit 'The Good Library' to learn more about Biophilic Design and its in impact on our health

Do you want us to orient you and guide your project towards well-being? We are architects and WELL Accredited Professionals and we are here to help. Subscribe to our newsletter or contact us info@thegoodthing.co.uk

Neuroscience

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 08:10:19 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Historically, environments we have built in the developed world have boiled down to how much return on investment this would produce without the long-term consideration of the human experience, well-being and health of our societies. This can no longer be our answer and we must look further into human centred design solutions that serve our people and communities.

The famous London Taxi Drivers study by Eleanor Maguire showed that acquiring ‘The Knowledge’ (the memorising of the complex layout of central London’s 25,000 streets and places of interests) caused an increase in grey matter in the brain and changes to memory, specifically in the hippocampus; suggesting that our brains change as we learn and supporting the argument that our human brain shows neural plasticity.

It’s important to note that the hippocampus is the area of the brain where we consolidate long term memories and that it also controls spatial cognition. Without spatial cognition, we wouldn’t be able to develop long term memories and could suggest that the spaces that we inhabit shape our identities which Sarah Williams Goldhagen explains brilliantly in her book ‘Welcome to your world: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives’.

Tapping into the relationship between people, identity and place, through neuroscience is an innovative way to help us design for cities and communities going forward.
Catapult have recently compiled a ‘Neuroscience for Cities Playbook’ in collaboration with their Centric Lab and University College London which shows how neuroscience research could be used to help further develop the design for cities.

At The Good Thing, we believe that this is an important area of research that could disrupt how we approach design problems of cities. We are continuing to research and collaborate with like-minded agencies and individuals to develop our understanding further.

Image via estory.io by Manu Claessens

Visit 'The Good Library' to learn more about Subjective Well-being and Neuroscience in the built environment

SOFIA HAGEN x The Good Thing

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 10:42:16 GMT

SOFIA HAGEN

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

A London-based designer of architectural background, and co-founder of design studio HagenHinderdael . Pairing product design with art, Lisa Hinderdael and I pursue an approach that explores the relationship of lighting and large scale installations in immersive environments. The studio's ethos is to celebrate long-established craftsmanship and always think about the lifecycle of the installations. In temporary installations, wherever possible, a product is developed as the singular unit of the composition - creating a unique way for the pieces to be re-used and distributed afterwards. Prior to launching HagenHinderdael, I have worked at practices such as DHLiberty, MAKE, Odile Decq and Zaha Hadid - who also was my teacher at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

I believe:

In the KISS principle. And let complexity take it from there.

Sofia's good tips:

A good event

The Fountain of Hygiene exhibition at The Design Museum by Bompas and Parr which happens to showcase one of our latest products... and comes with a ticket to the epic 'Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers' exhibition!

A good object

Suzugami - a tin plate that can be folded and transformed into any shape to function as a bowl, plate, accessory and most importantly very satisfying toy / haptic stress relief.

A good spot

The London Mithraeum

Bloomberg Space.

The "soil" is actually a painted trompe l'oeil floor, coming in at £1k per sqm

A good discovery

For slowdown lockdown times: my friend Spencer Bailey's podcasts Time Sensitive and At A Distance

A good one to follow

ConceptTalk

For clever design solutions...

Curated by NeonTalk

A good reading

Chroma

A poetic little book about colour.

Author: Derek Jarman

FORMAFANTASMA x The Good Thing

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 21:31:31 GMT

FORMAFANTASMA

X

The Good Thing Journal

We are:

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, an Italian designers duo based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

In Formafantasma, we have developed a coherent body of work characterised by experimental material investigations and explored issues such as the relationship between tradition and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Our exhibition ‘Cambio’, opened last March at Serpentine Gallery, shows an on-going research on emerging environmental awareness into a renewed understanding of the philosophy and politics of trees that will encourage informed, collaborative responses.

We believe:

Design plays a crucial role in our environment.

Formafantasma's good tips:

A good event

Decameron: stories in streaming - Triennale di Milano , 2020

Daily 5.00pm live on Instagram .

Curated by Joseph Grima, Umberto Angelini, Lorenza Baroncelli and Lorenza Bravetta

A good object

'Java Container' , 1969-1970

E nzo Mari

A good spot

Lido 84, Lago di Garda

Restaurant

A good discovery

Terra

O ur new puppy

A good one to follow

A lice Rawsthorn

Award-winning design critic

and author

A good reading

W hen Species Meet , 2008

Donna Harawa y

RETHINK 2025: Design for life after Covid-19

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 19:33:10 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

"When we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic a new sort of design will be needed. How would you design the new world we will find ourselves in?" This was the brief of the RIBA design competition 'RETHINK 2025' in which we have been longlisted with our proposal 'PODding the city'.

*Pods: self-supported portions of living spaces system made of translucent/transparent fibreglass Structural Insulated Panels to be used in conjunction with timber SIPs.

PODding the city

LIVING SPACES: THE ANSWER TO TAKE UP A CHANGED WORLD

How will we adapt to the current situation? There is no other way to do it than adapting our homes. Design flexibility can allow a building to evolve over time as the user needs change. However, many of the old (and not that old) buildings were not thought from that perspective.

This rigidity along with the current restrictive and old-fashioned planning and building control systems are making the city and its dwellings to become obsolete. Promoted by the current Covid-19 situation, we propose to challenge the rules and adapt a new system to make even the most ‘inflexible’ dwellings to expand in an economic, fast and sustainable way.

To extend existing dwellings that were not thought to incorporate strategies for flexibility when designed, we propose an addition system called ‘Podding’, in which we can extend spaces by plugging these pods* to facades or roofs or courtyard. This means we can add extra rooms for new activities, enlarge existing spaces or adding green boxes or terraces. This is really important in pandemic times when you are not allowed to be on the streets.

Contact with the outdoors is a key factor for our health and well-being, as it is having the control and being able to decide between choices, configurations, and customisations (aka micro-politics).

Welcome to the future.

*Pods: self-supported portions of living spaces system made of translucent/transparent fibreglass Structural Insulated Panels to be used in conjunction with timber SIPs.

Subjective Well-being

Mon, 18 May 2020 21:47:54 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Image: Lee F. Mindel, FAIA

Visit 'The Good Library' to learn more about Subjective Well-being and Neuroarchitecture

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and we were wondering how much do you think architecture and interior design can affect happiness?

When someone talks about ‘evidence-based design’ we tend to think it is focused mostly on Objective Well-being (OWB). However, in order to cover the full spectrum of well-being we should also talk about Subjective Well-being (SWB) which is the scientific term for life satisfaction and therefore happiness understood as pleasure and no pain. It is noteworthy to say that it has been demonstrated that the built environment makes us happier when it is designed to show a connection with nature (biophilic design), when see curves and when we smell natural scents between many other factors.

Fortunately, SWB through architecture is under study to also become ‘evidence-based’ by neuroscientists applying electroencephalograms, electrocardiograms and MRI on people as they experience architecture and urban design (mostly in Virtual Reality until mobile EEG is more developed) in order to measure how our brain responds to sensory perception provoked by aesthetics. This is ‘Neuroarchitecture”, a link between neuroscience, Gestalt psychology, perception theory, and architecture.

The concept neuroarchitecture is quite recent but the interest behind it was already in Jonas Salk’s mind when he asked Kahn to design the Salk Institute in the 60s: an holistic approach focused on the experience of the architectural space. In that case, the requirement was to create a space for scientists to feel inspired to be creative and think. Kahn achieved it creating a central stream of water in the empty travertine plaza between the two symmetrical concrete volumes. An indisputable masterpiece that shows the power of architecture.

Nourishment

Sat, 09 May 2020 09:20:21 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Image: Florent Tanet

References:

https://standard.wellcertified.com/nourishment/fruits-and-vegetables

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953619300048?via=ihub

Nutrition plays a key role in health maintenance, weight management and chronic diseases, and also in mental health.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2.7 million deaths worldwide as a consequence of insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, making it one of the top 10 risk factors contributing to mortality in the world.

Regular consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is the cornerstone of a healthy diet and can lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

A recent study by Dr Redzo Mujcic demonstrates: “Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables people eat lowers their risk of clinical depression, new research has found. The study discovered that eating, for example, four extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day can boost people’s mental health to such an extent that it can offset half the negative psychological impact of divorce and a quarter of the psychological damage of unemployment…

We found being made unemployed had a very bad and significant effect on people’s mental health, greatly increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. But eating seven or eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce that by half.”

The WELL Building Standard® encourages to implement design strategies and policies. As designers, we have the responsibility to help people to make food purchase and consumption decisions. “Dietary patterns and preparation practices all represent not only points of concern, but also venues for health improvement. Distance and access to grocery stores and other places that have fresh fruits and vegetables, access to farmers’ markets, the use of behavioural economics in cafeterias, increased availability of healthy foods and reduced marketing and availability of unhealthy foods, provision of caloric information and many other strategies can have an effect on our food choices and overall dietary patterns.”

GONZALO HERRERO x The Good Thing

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Fri, 01 May 2020 20:07:53 GMT

GONZALO HERRERO

X

The Good Thing Journal

I am:

An architect, curator and writer based in London. Since 2016, I am co-curator of the Architecture Department at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where I recently curated Eco-visionaries, an exhibition that explored how architects, artists and designers are responding today to some of the most urgent ecological issues of our times.

I believe:

We need to introduce changes in the way we think, in our agenda and in our practice, to raise awareness and show society how architecture can transform and repair our environments.

Gonzalo's good tips:

A good event

Antenna Fantasma

Formafantasma talks at Serpentine Galleries Instagram (Live)

A good object

'Mexique Table'

Charlotte Perriand

A good spot

We Are The Pavilion

Local bakery (in my weekend ritual)

A good discovery

The Kernel, Brewery London

Table Beer

A good one to follow

Design Emergency

Paola Antonelli + Alice Rawsthorn

A good reading

Eco-Visionaries: Conversations on a Planet in a State of Emergency

G. Herrero Delicado + R. Thompson

Ergonomics

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:35:18 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Image: Ray Eames via Vitra Design Museum

Working from home can cause you musculoskeletal disorders as you might be spending more time on the same position on a chair and a table that are not specifically designed for that.

We recommend a routine of 40 minutes sitting and 15 minutes standing followed by 5 minutes break where you walk for 2 minutes, stretch for 1 minute and drink a glass of water.

This is all about finding your balance, so be gentle with yourself.

Adjustable height desks

There are not many companies out there producing nice ergonomic pieces. Our preferred one is Actiu , a Spanish company who makes office furniture designed for your well-being.

You can ask a skilled joiner to make an adjustable height desk for you. Investing in your health is highly worth it. We would be more than happy to help you with this. However, it might not be the right moment to spend money, so for now, try placing a cardboard box on your table or desk so you can place the laptop on top of it up to the right height so you can work standing.

Remember the desk height sitting or standing should be at elbow height and the top of the screen should be at eye level.

Ergonomic seats

It might be easier to find nicer ergonomic seats than desks but you can also try DIY adding cushions on the back of the chair for lumbar support and maybe placing a box on the floor so you can rest your feet.

What is the right set up for your desk?

- Shoulders should be low and not reaching forward

- Lumbar support adjusted to align with lower back curve

- Armrests adjusted to elbow height (elbows bent to 90 degree)

- Hips slightly higher than knees

- 5-8 cm behind knee and front edge of the seat

- Feet should be supported on the floor or a footrest

- 90-120 degrees angle between legs and hip

- Wrists should be straight

- Keyboard and mouse are at elbow height

- Top of monitors are just below eye level

- Monitors are 45-90cm away from your eyes (depending on their resolution)

References:

- WELL Building Standard version 2 (WELL v2) Feature V02: Visual and Physical Ergonomics

- Ewiworks

WELL Concept: Water

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 20:36:47 GMT

Featured on The Telegraph

Pati Santos

Sep 10, 2020

Water is so important to the human body that a person can live weeks without food but only days without water.

It is recommended that women consume approximately 2-2.7 L and men 2.5-3.7 L of water per day. However, almost one billion people lack access to safe drinking water worldwide and two million annual deaths can be attributed to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene. Also not being hydrated is associated with higher rates of obesity.

Due to widely varying water quality across the globe, it is important to identify which (if any) contaminants are of concern on the local scale. Only then is it possible to design water treatment systems which address the necessary contaminants without adding undue complexity and wastewater.

In addition to providing hydration for building users, water plays a large role in other aspects of building design and operation.

WELL aims to promote water testing, treatment, and filtration to ensure that any water ingested or contacted by building occupants in clean and free of contaminants.

Do you want us to orient you and guide your project towards well-being?

We are architects and WELL Accredited Professionals and we are here to help.

Visit thegoodthing.co.uk and subscribe to our newsletter or contact us info@thegoodthing.co.uk

Source: WELL

WELL Concept: Air

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 13:33:18 GMT

According to WHO air pollution contributed to approximately seven million premature deaths in 2012 in the world. Around 600,000 of those were children under 5 years old.

The most common indoor air contaminants are combustion sources, such as candles, tobacco products, stoves, furnaces and fireplaces, that release pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and small particles into the air. Additionally, building materials, furnishings, fabrics, cleaning products, personal care products and air fresheners can all emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) into the indoor environment. Outdoor air pollution can also influence indoor exposure when pollutants diffuse indoors through building envelope openings, so there is a need to simultaneously address outdoor air quality.

Do you want us to orient you and guide your project towards well-being?

We are architects and WELL Accredited Professionals and we are here to help.

Visit thegoodthing.co.uk and subscribe to our newsletter or contact us info@thegoodthing.co.uk

Source: WELL

Pic by @stevenhah

THE GOOD THING Journal

NATHALIE SLEIMAN x The Good Thing Journal

NATHALIE SLEIMAN

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Featured on Livingetc

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

Architect Pati Santos on design choices that help our circadian rhythm

Health & Well-being in your ESG strategy

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How can The Good Thing help you meet ESG strategy?

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How to turn your home into a haven of health

Space availability/standards in homes and impact on residents’ wellbeing

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Endocrine-disrupting chemicals

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

Did you know Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are chemical substances that are not only in your food or personal care products? They are in the built environment, including your home, and most of them persist when they are released and they never disappear.

EDEN: Breathe what you sow

Delighted to have attended the opening of ‘EDEN’, designed by HagenHinderdael in partnership with Grosvenor Britain & Ireland and Artistic Statements. EDEN, is an installation, at Halkin Arcade in Belgravia, that invites people to interact planting seeds or just relax and heal.

Neuroscience

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

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FORMAFANTASMA

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RETHINK 2025: Design for life after Covid-19

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

Subjective Well-being

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and we were wondering how much do you think architecture and interior design can affect happiness?

Nourishment

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

Nutrition plays a key role in health maintenance, weight management and chronic diseases, and also in mental health.

GONZALO HERRERO x The Good Thing

GONZALO HERRERO

X

The Good Thing Journal

Ergonomics

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

Working from home can cause you musculoskeletal disorders as you might be spending more time on the same position on a chair and a table that are not specifically designed for that.

WELL Concept: Water

﻿ Featured on The Telegraph ﻿

Water is so important to the human body that a person can live weeks without food but only days without water.

WELL Concept: Air

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Podcast: Green & Healthy Places 009

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph

Featured on The Telegraph