Green: Beyond Comfort: Designing Homes as Places of Peace, Remembrances, and Beauty

Laura-Belle Robinson

This is for architects, builders, designers, and space planners. It is also for potential cohousers who will be involved in the design of their built living environment. It is generally taken for granted that design is concerned with the creation of objects and places that will satisfy the uses to which people will put them. Human factors—dealing with the comfort and convenience of the occupants—and social responsibility—the impact of design on society—are two major areas of consideration in programming. There is a third consideration that is often bypassed. Your home is more than a place—it is your larger body, the place where soul is renewed and made visible. This presentation examines the importance of soul in buildings and the enrichment of daily life when it is present.

Laura-Belle Robinson is a Domestic Designer trained in interior and garden design. She is the founder of HWYL Collaborative, Inc., enriching lives with sustainable development. Deeply influenced by her experiences in the cultures of Japan, England, Canada, and the Caribbean, she creates spaces that show the power of design to influence our lives and the environment. Her holistic approach embraces the needs of family and community to reconnect. Her passion for the sacredness and protection of family are reflected in her style.