slow design

As I rush here and there this holiday season, traveling to see family, rushing home from work to wrap gifts, I find myself needing to just stop. To slow down. To actually enjoy the beauty that surrounds me and take the time to be mindful.

There is the slow food movement which is a grassroots organization "linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment. Slow Food was founded in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world."

There is the slow money movement which suggests "we must bring money back down to earth. Slow Money believes "there is such a thing as money that is too fast, companies that are too big, finance that is too complex. Therefore, we must slow our money down." Slow Money proposes that "the 21st Century will be the era of nurture capital, built around principles of carrying capacity, care of the commons, sense of place and non-violence. We must connect investors to the places where they live, creating vital relationships and new sources of capital for small food enterprises."

I would like to introduce the concept of SLOW DESIGN which aims to encourage clients, contractors and architects to participate in making smart choices for a true investment in buildings, the community, and our future. Slow Design is a mindful approach to architecture:

• Creating spaces that are collaborative efforts between architect, engineers, owner and builder.
• Making decisions and choices that reflect our impact on the environment.
• Building homes and schools that are so well-designed they have a minimal carbon footprint.
• Taking the time to select high quality, durable, and local materials.
• Investing more money up front to see immediate payback in energy use, our health, and our environment.

photo by tim laman for national geographic