The concept of wellness architecture focuses on designing spaces that support physical and mental well-being.
ARCHITECT / DESIGNER
A home architect or designer draftsman is a professional who specializes in the design and planning of residential buildings. Their primary role is to create detailed drawings and plans that serve as a guide for the construction or renovation of a home.
Our coastal designer was recommended by our GC. Brian had the challenge of modifying and improving the plans that we inherited from another designer with the land purchase. This included: conceptual design, drafting and drawing plans, code compliance, material and finishes selection, and coordination with county personnel and engineers (including mechanical, structural, civil, and geotechnical).
Having a designer familiar with the coastal zoning requirements was extremely helpful. The renders and layout created by Brian and his team turned out better than we imagined! We look forward to framing them along with photos of the construction process when we move into our new home.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHITECT
An environmental architect, also known as an eco-architect or sustainable architect, is a professional who specializes in designing buildings and structures with a focus on minimizing their environmental impact.
Our environmental architect is also a Building Biologist who specializes in the health of the people who are living in the homes. After reading her book “Prescriptions For A Healthy House”, we hired Paula for a consult to address more complicated areas of the build such as roofing, wall systems, openings, and insulation with our GC.
In the meeting, we happily learned that there are many code requirements in California that our GC follows in building healthy and other ones he does as best practices as an experienced skilled builder. We highly recommend Paula and her partners Andrea and Mae.
EMF ELECTRICIAN / CONSULTANT
An Electromagnetic Field (EMF) consultant is a professional who specializes in assessing, analyzing, and providing recommendations related to electromagnetic fields and their potential impact on human health and the environment.
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are generated by various sources, including power lines, electrical appliances, wireless communication devices, solar, and more. They can be complicated to investigate, so even with all of my training and experience measuring hundreds of home, I hired Michael to confirm my measurements and assessment before purchasing the lot.
One of the most important EMFs to investigate on a home or land inspection are from electrical wiring errors. These wiring errors emit high amounts of radiation that can be difficult to trace in order to fix, difficult to shield, and are detrimental to one’s health.
While wiring errors are a code violation, they are not something a building inspector will look for and identify. Wiring errors are quite common with three way lighting wired incorrectly by electricians or clothes dryers that installers do not adjust during set up. Since the lights or dryer “work”, most homeowners and their electricians assume all is correct. These are the easiest errors to find and fix if you know to look for them.
While I no longer personally provide in-home consulting services, I believe measuring magnetic fields is beneficial in every home. Inexpensive magnetic field meters can be purchased to do a rough test. If the magnetic field measures higher than ~1 milligauss where one spends a lot of time, it’s worthwhile hiring an expert to investigate.
FENG SHUI MASTER
A Feng Shui master plays a role when building a new home by incorporating principles of Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese practice that focuses on the harmonious arrangement of spaces to promote positive energy flow (Chi) and enhance the well-being of the occupants.
I’ve never experienced traditional Feng Shui prior to our build, but I’ve always been curious about it. I found several classically trained consultants on Yelp based off of positive reviews. After researching and interviewing them, I hired Aelito for advise on site selection prior to purchasing the land, confirming that the building orientation for the existing plans was beneficial based on a compass reading (seen in the photo above), and help with the energy flow for the initial internal layout and design.
Subscribe to the Healthy Home Build newsletter below and be the first to watch interviews with our experts.
Healthy Home Build 