Thursday, May 20, 2010

What makes us happy in our Home: Prospect and Refuge

There is a a great show on cbc radio 1 right now discussing what makes us feel happy in our home. Behavioural Psychologist Colin Ellard is stating that we basically need two kinds of space: Prospect and Refuge.* These needs are deeply biological based on our ancestor's need to protect ourselves from threats (refuge) and our need to see a vista and peruse our Bounty! (Prospect)
Unfortunately I think most Lofts have neither....but I think you can build them in.

* I think Frank LLoyd Wright coined this idea. Winnifred Gallagher also discusses it her her book House Thinking. A good read.

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