WELL-BEING
MANIFESTO
Architecture and Design have been historically human-centred, where designers placed the desires and needs of the human only at the centre of their projects. This is the paradigm we know. However, this philosophy has caused harm to the planet, and will continue to do so unless we make a change. We will no longer be serving the end-user's best interests if we don't serve the planet's well-being interests as well. We must place humans and the planet at the heart of our design process, understanding their well-being is interdependent.
Well-Being design aims to re-balance this arrangement by placing Mother Earth as a major factor in the design process, prioritising its ecosystem and the creation of positive spaces where the people are in greater harmony with nature. Here the importance of the human changes, as they become partners with Nature in the system, as opposed to the sole centre of it.
It will take true commitment for the paradigm to shift. It will require investors to understand that we can no longer pursue financial returns at the expense of the planet. Instead, designers will need to create a new currency of value, which allows all players to seize the opportunities that a heightened sense of social consciousness brings. Designers also need to minimise the extractive processes that are so prevalent in the materials we use. We will need to reduce travel and consumption to minimise energy and data use. Focus on affordable local products and find smarter approaches to traditional design problems.
The current way of designing is causing harm. Using smart
and affordable solutions, it's possible to shape a
more sustainable world, if we work together.
As designers, we need to place integrity at the centre of our belief system and present new visions of what a more equitable and healthy world could look like. We must ensure that we influence our clients and aid them in the transition to new approaches to design that no longer put short-term thinking before the long-term well-being of the planet. We will need to invest in local products and reimagine the possibilities of what we can create to overcome traditional design problems. Designers must take the lead and defy the current status quo to create future-adaptive buildings that will meet the rising demand for a sustainable built environment. At Gummavitta we believe it is possible to shape a more sustainable world, respecting every species and achieving a greater bond between people, our fellow species and our planet. Join us as we do this together.
“GOOD ARCHITECTURE LETS NATURE IN.”
Mario Pei
