Happy New Year to you! If 2021 is the year that you decide to embark on a new home build or renovation/ extension of your current home we feel that in the spirit of list-making here are our Top 10 TIPS for Good Design that we live by ( we in fact eat, breathe and sleep them).
So here goes- Good Design…
- Is both psychological and aesthetic and not only functional.
- Is long-lasting and sustainable- no trends!
- Solves problems first- solutions follow.
- Flows!
- Is environmentally friendly.
- Is as little design as possible.
- Brings out the best in you and your family in how you live and interact with one another.
- Is future-proofed.
- Excites you for the future.
- All about form-use-beauty.
Let’s take a closer look at the list...
The process of design is about a grouping of minds that come together intrinsically, sharing similar goals and values and one that requires a synergistic and rigorous contemplation of problem solving.
Designing a home with little thought for client perception, attention, language, memory and thinking means the design will not meet the expectations for the home-owner either now or in the future. As architects our role is to fundamentally problem solve by exploring constraints in the owners current home and space and not limiting to life either.
Home design is one part of a greater piece of our life design puzzle and to make a puzzle we need all parts. In our practice we use a range of psychological tools to help clients uncover whay they like and more importantly why they like it. This allows them to join the conversation with our team and we capture a brief that is firmly centered on ‘ Human Centered Design’.
Home design is one part of a greater piece of our life design puzzle
When we are asked to copy another home that has been built or handed magazines, while we like to see what the client aesthetically enjoys we know it’s only one aspect. Following trends means you never get to the core of how you live as an individual, a couple nor a family and we see the role of coaching as core and central to the process to allow the client to feel comfortable and secure that we understand their vision.
Think about a space or place you really like ( it can be a holiday destination, a shop, a museum, a friend’s kitchen etc). There is a good chance that while you may express you like certain colours or pieces or furniture the stronger likelihood is that it’s based on a feeling at a deeper emotional level. A lot of substantial research points to this and suggests that our home design and furniture choices emanate from an emotional base.
Great design is rooted in rhythm and incorporates texture, harmony, proportion, dynamics and articulation. Using shadows and light allows us to play with the rhythm of a design, introducing repetition in functions allow us to create a spatial rhythm which in turns allows movement and great flow.
So if you are deciding on working with an architect to build or improve on your new space, consider asking the following questions.
- What Human-centered design tools do you use to uncover a clients needs and wants?
- What do you understand Flow and rhythm to mean for a new space?
- Do you have your own style or are you open to designing the client’s vision?
Feel free to contact me for any new home or renovation queries you may have to karen@dwellbeing.ie
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Karen