Regenerative Home that Enhances Your Well-Being

Beyond Green Design, a regenerative home that enhances your well-being.

Homes have been designated as “Green” for years, the aim of green design is sustainability, Vera Iconica Architecture, an architectural firm in Jackson, Wyoming specializing in wellness architecture, challenges us to think beyond sustainability into the world of regeneration. Posing the question “do we really want to sustain the current condition”? Suggesting that instead we think bigger and look to create design standards that give back, regenerative design does just that. Regenerative buildings live in harmony with the local ecology and can establish symbiotic relationships that allow local flora and fauna – including humans – to flourish.

It is already well documented that our environment impacts our physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial health, even how well we age. Environmental psychologists, neuroscientists and clinical doctors are beginning to study just how big that impact is. Additionally, products marketed as green or environmentally friendly are not always so. Product manufacturers are quick to tout the benefits of a single element of their product without appreciation for how the remaining elements interact with our environment, sometimes doing more harm than good to our health and planet.

The architecture and real estate communities can help, with education and the opening of the western mindsets to ancient wisdom and knowledge from around the globe. All of this to enrich and regenerate our environment while contributing to the enhanced well-being of those who currently share our environment and future generations.

Here are 3 small shifts you can make today to move toward well-ism in your personal environment:

1. Sync your natural Circadian Rhythms to the rhythms of the environment, this helps to balances your hormones for optimal health . Create connection to the natural color and intensity shifts of daylight, by waking up and preparing for sleep away from the blue screens of digital devices. Integrate candlelight in your morning and evening rituals when additional light is needed.

2. Nourish your space, so it can nourish you and don’t be the only thing living in it. Bring your space to life with plants, crystals, trickling water, and essential oils. These seemingly small additions to your space can shift your mood, your ability to respond to stress, and your cognitive performance, not to mention your indoor air quality.

3. Reduce your exposure to toxins, especially unknown toxins. Unless you are cleaning with vinegar and essential oils, you are inadvertently putting chemicals into your body and the bodies of those around you. Airborne cleaning products that spray on to surfaces or aerosol products that mask smells are proliferating the air with harmful chemicals that are absorbed through your lungs, skin, and eyes. Cosmetic products, lotions, and perfumes are no different. A small amount of research and education can save your body the stress of constantly detoxifying itself and use those energy resources for your vitality and well-being.

Article by Veronica of Vera Iconica Architecture. She can be reached at veronica@veraiconicaarchitecture.com for inquires and consultations. Vera Iconica Architecture is a partner in JHREA’s wellness program; a program that develops and implements health and wellness services exclusively for our team and clients. As clients seek the Jackson Hole lifestyle, many are also seeking to change the way they are living, and JHREA is able to assist in achieving lifestyle and health goals.