SPACE10
Space10
2023
🌍 Context of the Report The Healthy Home report is the second release in the Future Home report series published by SPACE10, IKEA's research and design lab. The report aims to explore how domestic environments can safeguard residents' health, enhance their well-being, and support their development throughout life’s stages. Collaborating with the design firm Morph, SPACE10 developed visuals that complement the report's findings, emphasizing the importance of homes in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change, pollution, and societal disconnection. 🏡 Key Themes and Findings The report identifies three main themes related to healthy homes: protection from harm, restoration of physical and mental well-being, and facilitation of personal growth. It highlights how homes should not only serve functional purposes but also contribute positively to the health and happiness of their inhabitants. SPACE10 emphasizes the need for homes to adapt to the changing climate, improve hygiene and nutrition, and foster community interactions. 📊 Ten Essential Takeaways SPACE10 summarizes the report’s conclusions into ten actionable takeaways for architects, designers, and other stakeholders involved in the housing sector: 1. Climatic: Homes should anticipate temperature and humidity fluctuations to ensure a safe environment. 2. Pollution: Strategies must be implemented to protect residents from contaminated air and water. 3. Privacy: A balance should be struck between privacy and connectivity within the home. 4. Rest: Arrangements for rest and sleep should engage all senses for improved quality. 5. Sustenance: Kitchens should be designed to facilitate the preparation of nourishing meals. 6. Hygiene: Personal hygiene practices must align with the domestic ecosystem to enhance well-being. 7. Play: Spaces should encourage play and exercise, promoting interactions across generations. 8. Community Care: Initiatives should be fostered to combat loneliness through collective care. 9. Ageing: Homes must be adaptable to accommodate the needs of an aging population. 10. Interconnected: A healthy home should be regenerative and inclusive, benefitting both individuals and the planet. 🔗 Conclusion The Healthy Home report provides a comprehensive framework for rethinking housing design, aligning it with the principles of sustainability and well-being. By addressing pressing issues related to health, environmental impact, and social connectivity, it offers valuable insights for anyone involved in creating or improving residential spaces in Europe and beyond.
Space10
IKEA’s research and design lab SPACE10 has published The Healthy Home report, the second release in its Future Home report series. The report explores three main themes concerning domestic environments: how our homes protect us from harm, restore our bodies and minds, and enable us to grow through life’s stages. The research aims to evaluate the ways in which homes can positively contribute to and support the rhythms and flows of life. It was developed in collaboration with Morph to develop the visuals supporting the findings.
Concerned with the notions of a “healthy home,” SPACE10 set out to explore spaces beyond their strictly functional role, examining their impact on their residents' health and well-being and connecting them with challenges such as planetary heating, pollution, security, nourishment, and loneliness. The study takes a kaleidoscopic approach while also including case studies and innovations from around the world.
Notions of health, care, and happiness are guiding principles for how many of us want to live. Yet, in the context of surging healthcare expenses, a growing elderly population, and disconnections between people and their kin, we must reconsider how health and care fit into our daily lives — and how our homes can play a supporting role. Pillars of health such as rest, nourishment, a sense of belonging, and personal growth will be increasingly integrated into how we live. — Ivan Korolev, Research and Strategy, SPACE10
SPACE10 has summarized the report's conclusions in 10 takeaways highlighting how future homes can better support people and the design opportunities presented to architects, designers and creatives working in the domestic space. These are the 10 takeaways:
- Climatic: Anticipate shifts in temperature and humidity and maintain a safe environment.
- Pollution: Protect residents from contaminated air and water through enhanced routines or products.
- Privacy: Balance people’s privacy and security at home with calmer connectivity.
- Rest: Make arrangements for rest and sleep that consider all our senses.
- Sustenance: Adapt the kitchen to support everybody in the preparation of nourishing food.
- Hygiene: Harmonize personal hygiene with the domestic biome to boost well-being.
- Play: Facilitate play, exercise and learning for all, and promote intergenerational interactions.
- Community Care: Promote acts of collective care and co-healing to combat loneliness.
- Ageing: Support ageing by allowing space and furniture to be reconfigured with ease.
- Interconnected: A healthy home is also regenerative and inclusive, meaning it’s better for people and the planet
SPACE10 - Healthy Home. Image © Marissa Patrice Leitman
SPACE10 is a research and design lab supported and dedicated to the IKEA Brand to qualify new opportunities, inform strategies, and design new solutions for a better future. Earlier this year, the office launched a global design competition and open-source research program to reimagine the home using AI technologies. SPACE10 has also launched several other initiatives, including a report on the impact of digital design in architecture and an open-source project aimed at using digital fabrication methods to bee homes worldwide.
