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For a Healthier Home and WorkplaceINDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (IEQ)Is your home or workplace compromising your health?
Building materials and interior finishes can off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOC's) that are industrial chemicals found in most conventional building materials (especially in paints, polyurethanes, caulks and adhesives). Moisture problems can lead to mold, which can then lead to respiratory illnesses. Errors in wiring can create harmful electromagnetic fields (EMF's) that can adversely affect both humans and animals. With sustainable design practices you can take the path of prudent avoidance, and consciously select the building products surrounding you with informed awareness. You can avoid the health risks inherent in some building materials and methods, while protecting our earth's precious natural environments. Holistic Design will help you identify potential toxins in your environment and will guide you in making healthful home improvement and lifestyle changes at your home or workplace. We will do a walk-through of your space to identify potential IEQ problems before they begin to challenge your health. We will help you find strategies for improving your indoor air quality (IAQ), locating EMF's and assist you in selecting non-toxic finishes such as low VOC paints, non-synthetic carpeting, and gentle but effective cleaning supplies. If you have multiple chemical sensitivities we can help you trace their possible sources in your home or workplace. Should a particular problem require professional remediation, Holistic Design can advise you in selecting from a number of specialists that are appropriate to your situation. Contact us for a healthy home or workplace consultation. GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGNWhen planning a renovation or considering new construction, do you want to "do the right thing" in terms of global warming, but simply don't know where to begin?
Holistic Design offers a grass roots approach to greening up the environment, by empowering the individual home or business owner to make informed decisions on selecting more environmentally friendly building materials and systems. We can show you how to sequence the steps of a construction project, manage your resources, and deal with construction waste responsibly. We will advise you on moisture management, energy efficient design and water conservation strategies that are customized to your particular project. We will consult with you by the hour or by the project using a team approach--with you, your contractor and any other building or landscape related personnel. Our recommendations will be in the form of annotated sketches, a work write-up, a simple set of specifications, and a "green checklist" that organizes your project according to your budget and your priorities. Contact us for a green and sustainable "roadmap" for your project.
For a Healthier Home and WorkplaceSPACE PLANNINGDoes your existing floor plan meet the needs of your current lifestyle? Can you make better use of the space you already have?
We can work with you in a way that is as easy on the soul as it is on the planet, using environmental psychology and the Eastern design philosophies of Feng Shui and Wabi Sabi. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of placement and balance, where personal environments become extensions of the self in a kind of spatial "acupuncture" that brings healing and actualization into one's life. Wabi Sabi, with its origins in Japan, is a Zen mindset where less is more--invoking an attitude of simplicity, reverence and acceptance. When applied to design, Wabi-Sabi values places and objects for their history and meaning, quietly celebrating their imperfections and the markings of their passage in time. Both these forms of space planning and interior redesign have their roots in Buddhist principles of spiritual harmony and balance. Both have the potential to be inherently sustainable and spiritually informed. Both can fine-tune our spaces to become the true extensions of our bodies and our Selves. Contact us to make your spaces whole, sacred and uncluttered.
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There
is a connection between your immediate
environment and your personal health.
You may be needlessly subjecting
yourself to sources of indoor pollution
that can reduce your capacity to
be healthy, happy and productive.
Some
of our most significant public health
and environmental issues can be
traced back to the way our homes
are designed and built. Minimizing
the impact of a construction project
on the earth's natural resources
is often simply a matter of making
the right choices early on in the
process.
We
can help you optimize your existing
space to both simplify your life
and meet your needs. Following the
principles of green and sustainable
design and incorporating the qualities
of natural light, we can help you
update your floor plan and find
optimal space planning solutions
for your home or business.