Architecture and wellbeing - Grand Designs Magazine
Archiwildish Grand Designs House, Wellesbourne

Designing for wellbeing

How accessible, practical and beautiful spaces can have a positive effect on mental health

Promotional Feature By Caroline Rodrigues |

As the saying goes, there’s no place like home, which is certainly the case when architecture and wellbeing considerations come together to promote good health. Whether you’re able-bodied or have particular needs, inventive design can have a positive effect on how you live.

architecture and wellbeing: the living room of an accessible home featured on grand designs

Photo: Archiwildish

Architecture and wellbeing

People’s relationship with their homes goes back a long way. Ever since mankind started to dwell inside caves, the sense of safety and comfort has had a positive effect on our wellbeing. How our homes make us feel is very important given the amount of time we spend there. This can directly influence feelings of happiness and mental wellbeing.

architecture for wellbeing in an accessible design for wheelchair user Mark Butler, as seen on Grand Designs

Photo: Archiwildish

Accessible design

When CIAT Chartered Practice ArchiWildish created a house for wheelchair user Mark Butler, wellbeing-led architecture was as important as accessible design. The concept for the four-bedroom Warwickshire house was a design that would not draw attention to Mark’s impairment. Instead it would make his life comfortable, enhancing his mental health: ‘I am only disabled by my environment,’ says Mark.

According to ArchiWildish, our homes are an expression of ourselves. We decorate them to our tastes and fill them with the stuff we love and this should be the most noticeable thing. As such, any special requirements or adaptions should be almost invisible to the untrained eye.

Kevin McCloud outside an accessible home from Grand Designs

Photo: Channel 4

As the saying goes, there’s no place like home, which is certainly the case when architecture and wellbeing considerations come together to promote good health. Whether you’re able-bodied or have particular needs, inventive design can have a positive effect on how you live.

architecture and wellbeing: the living room of an accessible home featured on grand designs

Photo: Archiwildish

Architecture and wellbeing

People’s relationship with their homes goes back a long way. Ever since mankind started to dwell inside caves, the sense of safety and comfort has had a positive effect on our wellbeing. How our homes make us feel is very important given the amount of time we spend there. This can directly influence feelings of happiness and mental wellbeing.

architecture for wellbeing in an accessible design for wheelchair user Mark Butler, as seen on Grand Designs

Photo: Archiwildish

Accessible design

When CIAT Chartered Practice ArchiWildish created a house for wheelchair user Mark Butler, wellbeing-led architecture was as important as accessible design. The concept for the four-bedroom Warwickshire house was a design that would not draw attention to Mark’s impairment. Instead it would make his life comfortable, enhancing his mental health: ‘I am only disabled by my environment,’ says Mark.

According to ArchiWildish, our homes are an expression of ourselves. We decorate them to our tastes and fill them with the stuff we love and this should be the most noticeable thing. As such, any special requirements or adaptions should be almost invisible to the untrained eye.

Kevin McCloud outside an accessible home from Grand Designs

Photo: Channel 4

Aesthetic appeal

Featured in the 2019 series of Grand Designs, the house has no grab rails, ramps or obvious aids on show. Step-free access indoors and out, a polished concrete floor, wide corridors and sliding pocket doors all contribute to the contemporary design and user-friendliness of this home – architecture and wellbeing combine seamlessly.

The house has a lift but this was carefully selected for its aesthetic appeal. It has the appearance of a luxurious addition rather than a necessity for Mark. In the stylish kitchen, lower worktop spaces and an easy-reach built in oven eases cooking tasks without being an obvious design feature. Even the first floor panoramic window is at the perfect height for someone in a seated position.

architecture and wellbeing come together in this accessible barn-style home

Photo: Archiwildish

Find out more

Bringing together architecture and wellbeing by considering how a space can induce positive feelings is an important aspect of ArchiWildish’s design process. ArchiWildish was set up by Mark Stephen Wildish FCIAT, a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists with over 30 years’ experience. Mark works with architectural technologist Stephen Miller and architectural assistant Ollie Hunt to provide architectural design packages tailored to your specific requirements. These can range from simple sketch proposals right up a full design package.

If you are looking to build your own accessible Grand Design, visit archiwildish.co.uk or call 01789 576037.

grand designs magazine approved premium partner    ciat chartered practice logo

SCROLL FOR MORE LIKE THIS