Coined by Calgary architect John Brown, the term Slow Home is a modern reminder of the basic tenets of good residential architecture. Taking its name from the Slow Food movement, the studio aims for a more "considered, calm and intuitive" approach to home design, a reaction to the not-so-sustainable construction trends of recent years. Brown's company, Slow Home Studio, offers a wealth of information and resources on their website, including a free "Slow Home Test" that measures how slow (or fast!) your home is. The success of this type of home is dependent on 10 basic steps - find out what they are after the jump!
Claiming that many homes are built cheaply and quickly (the equivalent to "fast food"), Slow Home Studio is an endeavor to educate designers, builders and homeowners about what makes a home "slow." Many of these ideas are not new, but after decades of bigger and faster, they are a good reminder that there's a better, more sustainable direction when it comes to our homes.
1. Location: A Slow Home is located in a walkable neighborhood that minimizes your use of a car.
2. Orientation: A Slow Home is correctly oriented to the sun and properly related to its surroundings.
3. Organization: A Slow Home is modestly sized, and has a good flow between spaces with a strong connection to the outdoors
4. Entry: The front and back entries in a Slow Home are spaces, not just doors.
5. Living: All indoor and outdoor living spaces in a Slow Home have good daylight and are easy to furnish.
6. Kitchen: A Slow Home has a compact kitchen with an efficient layout, good work surfaces, and sufficient storage.
7. Dining: A Slow Home has a well-defined dining area that properly fits a table that is suitable for daily use.
8. Bedrooms: All bedrooms in a Slow Home have good daylight, sufficient storage, and can logically fit a bed.
9. Bathrooms: A Slow Home has an appropriate number of well organized and modestly sized bathrooms.
10. Services: The service spaces in a Slow Home are unobtrusive and highly functional.
In addition to these basic strategies, Slow Home Studio also has an extensive series of "Design Minutes" - short-form videos that discuss different residential design issues. Check out their website to learn more!
(Image: Slow Home Studio)
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Great article...
My 800 sq ft addition on to my family's property im Maui Meadows was just completed. So, I put it to the test.
(1) Fast :-( Must drive to grocery/drugstore although there is dining within walking distance
(2) Slow... well lit but in the shade so stays cool
(3) Slow... open design, windows and french doors allow ample views of the garden & ocean(4) Slow... no "hallways"
(5) Slow... Well lit, open design.
(6) Slow.... incl a vertical cabinet for hard to store small applicances, mixing bows and other accessories, ample counter tops
(7) Slow... large kitchen island is used for prep, cook and dining, as well as providing storage
(8) Slow... Large sleeping area well lit due to a large window, in the shade so its cool. Can easily fit a queen size bed, two nightstands. 6 X 12 walk in closet separates sleeping area from dining/living area
(9) Fast.... one bathroom & one sink for 2 people, limited storage
(10)?, what's a service space?
I love all these ideas but can't help but think of the millions of people in the world who don't even have beds to sleep on or enough food to eat. What a luxury for us to be able to think about 'flow' and 'space' and 'ease of furnishing'.
I agree with all of these. We look for our homes to be walking distance to a grocery store. I cook a lot from scratch, and it's so nice. Plus, if you can walk to the grocery store, most likely there are other amenities within walking distance.
In the same food category, we don't need a dining room, but need a respectable kitchen. I'd completely give up a dining room in favor of a slightly larger well laid out kitchen. My friends don't mind eating in the living room.