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Creating a home that feels both comfortable and healthy is essential for well-being. Whether you’re embarking on a renovation project or just looking to make your space more inviting and sustainable, the right guidance can make all the difference. From design principles to eco-friendly practices, these books will inspire and equip you with the knowledge to build a space that’s not only beautiful but also nurturing for both body and mind. Dive into these must-reads and transform your home into a sanctuary that supports a healthier, happier lifestyle.
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Feel-Good Homes by Drew Tozer & Nate Adams, is an essential guide for homeowners who struggle with common issues like rooms that are too hot in summer, too cold in winter, moisture buildup, stuffy air and seasonal allergies. These problems can make a home uncomfortable and unhealthy, but the good news is that they're all solvable. This book introduces the HAVEN method - a proven system designed to help you assess, plan and implement changes that will turn your home into a comfortable, healthy and sustainable environment. You’ll be guided step-by-step on how to identify specific issues in your home, from uneven temperatures to poor air circulation. Through an understanding of the science behind these problems, you'll gain insights into how to solve them efficiently. The book also provides practical advice on choosing the right solutions within your budget, including selecting the best heat pump for your needs, ensuring long-term comfort and energy efficiency. Additionally, Feel-Good Homes walks you through finding a reliable contractor to carry out the work, so you don’t have to navigate the process alone. By following the advice in this book, you can create a space where you, your family and your home will truly feel good year-round.
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Design a Healthy Home by Oliver Heath offers 100 design ideas aimed at enhancing your physical and mental well-being by transforming your living space. Drawing on the latest research in well-being and Biophilic Design, the book provides practical solutions to create a restorative and nurturing environment in your home. Through the collaboration of experts in sustainability, psychology and design, the book highlights the benefits of connecting to nature, maximising natural light, improving air quality, and using colour, texture and patterns to promote relaxation, better sleep and strong social connections. The book is filled with budget-friendly, stylish and easy-to-implement ideas, whether you're renting or owning your property. Key solutions include optimising lighting with reflective surfaces, improving air quality through ventilation and creating tech-free zones for better rest. Organised by themes like Light, Sleep, Sound, Warmth, and Air, the book offers practical tips that anyone can adopt to detoxify their home and make it a sanctuary for well-being.
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Healthy Homes by Nick Baker & Koen Steemers focuses on improving the energy performance of residential buildings while ensuring the health, well-being and comfort of occupants aren't compromised. It highlights how energy-efficient features can be incorporated at little to no cost, positively impacting the well-being of those living in the building. The book addresses the growing need for better energy performance in housing, with a particular emphasis on mass housing and affordable strategies. It draws from scientific evidence to provide practical design guidance, exploring both physical and psychological aspects of well-being. While it acknowledges the existing focus on workplace environments, this book applies similar principles to the home, offering new, socially and health-oriented indicators for designing healthier, energy-efficient living spaces. The content is structured to be accessible for architects and designers looking to create better, more comfortable homes.
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Passive House Made Simple by Riley Carter offers a practical guide to designing or retrofitting a home to be energy-efficient, sustainable and comfortable. The book introduces the core principles of Passive House design, showing how to create eco-friendly spaces that reduce energy use, lower utility bills and enhance comfort. Carter explains how to utilise natural elements like sunlight and insulation to optimise a home's energy performance. The book covers energy-efficient retrofits for older homes, providing affordable solutions for homeowners looking to upgrade their living spaces. It also explores how to build new homes in line with Passive House principles, emphasising sustainability. With real-life success stories, this guide offers inspiration and actionable strategies for creating a greener, healthier home while reducing your carbon footprint. Whether you’re renovating or building from scratch, Passive House Made Simple provides the tools and motivation to make lasting, positive changes.
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Health at Home by Joachim Herrmann is all about how the spaces we live in can affect our well-being. The book shows that a healthy home isn’t just about comfort - it can boost our health, creativity, relationships and overall happiness. Herrmann introduces the concept of Building Biology, which looks at how things like air quality, mould, electro-pollution and even Feng Shui can impact our lives. He gives tons of practical tips for making your home a healthier place to live. Drawing from his experience as one of the pioneers of Building Biology in Australia, Herrmann explains how small changes to our living environments can help with everything from chronic health issues to boosting our energy and productivity. He also talks about the Healthy House Australia certification, a standard for building or buying homes that are designed with our health in mind. It’s a simple and straightforward guide to creating a space that helps you live your best life.
1
Feel-Good Homes by Drew Tozer & Nate Adams, is an essential guide for homeowners who struggle with common issues like rooms that are too hot in summer, too cold in winter, moisture buildup, stuffy air and seasonal allergies. These problems can make a home uncomfortable and unhealthy, but the good news is that they're all solvable. This book introduces the HAVEN method - a proven system designed to help you assess, plan and implement changes that will turn your home into a comfortable, healthy and sustainable environment. You’ll be guided step-by-step on how to identify specific issues in your home, from uneven temperatures to poor air circulation. Through an understanding of the science behind these problems, you'll gain insights into how to solve them efficiently. The book also provides practical advice on choosing the right solutions within your budget, including selecting the best heat pump for your needs, ensuring long-term comfort and energy efficiency. Additionally, Feel-Good Homes walks you through finding a reliable contractor to carry out the work, so you don’t have to navigate the process alone. By following the advice in this book, you can create a space where you, your family and your home will truly feel good year-round.
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Design a Healthy Home by Oliver Heath offers 100 design ideas aimed at enhancing your physical and mental well-being by transforming your living space. Drawing on the latest research in well-being and Biophilic Design, the book provides practical solutions to create a restorative and nurturing environment in your home. Through the collaboration of experts in sustainability, psychology and design, the book highlights the benefits of connecting to nature, maximising natural light, improving air quality, and using colour, texture and patterns to promote relaxation, better sleep and strong social connections. The book is filled with budget-friendly, stylish and easy-to-implement ideas, whether you're renting or owning your property. Key solutions include optimising lighting with reflective surfaces, improving air quality through ventilation and creating tech-free zones for better rest. Organised by themes like Light, Sleep, Sound, Warmth, and Air, the book offers practical tips that anyone can adopt to detoxify their home and make it a sanctuary for well-being.
3
Healthy Homes by Nick Baker & Koen Steemers focuses on improving the energy performance of residential buildings while ensuring the health, well-being and comfort of occupants aren't compromised. It highlights how energy-efficient features can be incorporated at little to no cost, positively impacting the well-being of those living in the building. The book addresses the growing need for better energy performance in housing, with a particular emphasis on mass housing and affordable strategies. It draws from scientific evidence to provide practical design guidance, exploring both physical and psychological aspects of well-being. While it acknowledges the existing focus on workplace environments, this book applies similar principles to the home, offering new, socially and health-oriented indicators for designing healthier, energy-efficient living spaces. The content is structured to be accessible for architects and designers looking to create better, more comfortable homes.
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Passive House Made Simple by Riley Carter offers a practical guide to designing or retrofitting a home to be energy-efficient, sustainable and comfortable. The book introduces the core principles of Passive House design, showing how to create eco-friendly spaces that reduce energy use, lower utility bills and enhance comfort. Carter explains how to utilise natural elements like sunlight and insulation to optimise a home's energy performance. The book covers energy-efficient retrofits for older homes, providing affordable solutions for homeowners looking to upgrade their living spaces. It also explores how to build new homes in line with Passive House principles, emphasising sustainability. With real-life success stories, this guide offers inspiration and actionable strategies for creating a greener, healthier home while reducing your carbon footprint. Whether you’re renovating or building from scratch, Passive House Made Simple provides the tools and motivation to make lasting, positive changes.
5
Health at Home by Joachim Herrmann is all about how the spaces we live in can affect our well-being. The book shows that a healthy home isn’t just about comfort - it can boost our health, creativity, relationships and overall happiness. Herrmann introduces the concept of Building Biology, which looks at how things like air quality, mould, electro-pollution and even Feng Shui can impact our lives. He gives tons of practical tips for making your home a healthier place to live. Drawing from his experience as one of the pioneers of Building Biology in Australia, Herrmann explains how small changes to our living environments can help with everything from chronic health issues to boosting our energy and productivity. He also talks about the Healthy House Australia certification, a standard for building or buying homes that are designed with our health in mind. It’s a simple and straightforward guide to creating a space that helps you live your best life.
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