It’s undeniable that nature can have a physiological impact on our sense of wellbeing. Even anecdotally, there are many remedies to the maladies of urban life – taking a walk through a park during stressful moments, or ‘grounding’ as a visceral way to connect to the outdoors. Academic studies confirm this natural inclination, with a paper released in Nature (2019) which found people who spend two hours a week in green spaces were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological wellbeing.
So, how can we cultivate these benefits in the most intimate of places – our homes? It was a question I kept top of mind when bringing the stories together for this Life Outside issue of Habitus. In an incredibly open gesture, landscape architect Hugh Main (p. 66) has created a home in regional NSW, Australia, that welcomes the countryside – even his beloved horses – right up to the house.
To really explore the stunning beauty of the outdoors, Gillian Serisier chats with three landscapers about the ‘naturalistic’ direction garden design is going (p. 94). In a joyful explosion of colour, we also meet artist Paul Davies, who’s latest collection explores the allure of indoor-outdoor rooms with Robin Boyd’s Walsh Street House as the protagonist.
The outdoors and how they connect to the architecture is an ever-present consideration in each of the residences. At Corymbia by Karen Abernethy Architects (p. 164), an adjacent splendid lemon-scented gum (a Corymbia tree) becomes a focal point to a new extension. In Singapore, MAKE House by Park + Associates’ (p. 134), internal garden-scapes break-up the interior. And Suffolk Park House embraces a National Park at the rear of the yard as an extension to bustling family life.
I hope reading this issue of Habitus brings a moment of peaceful delight, much in the same way that an excursion in nature can bring. Please feel free to reach out here and find out more about the magazine here.
Aleesha Callahan
Editor