welcome to the hearth & common
An extension of Alleyne & Co. Designs, The Hearth & Common is where design, everyday living, and the restorative moments in between all find a seat at the table.
Here you will find thoughts on the spaces we inhabit and how they shape us, alongside the quieter rhythms of home; the garden, the kitchen, the walk that cleared your head. Some posts are grounded in design science. Others are simply about a Sunday well spent.
All of it is connected by one belief: that a well-lived life, and a home that supports it, belongs to everyone.
Why Your Building Is Making You Tired
We have had the science to build health-generating environments since 1987. We are not using it. This post introduces the concept of Spatial Friction -the hidden cognitive and physiological cost imposed by incoherent, poorly designed space- and makes the case for salutogenesis as the design standard we should have adopted decades ago.
A Salutogenic Approach to Design
Today, most of our environments are designed to be visually appealing, and will very often ignore the requirements of our biology. This piece explores a salutogenic methodology; designing specifically to mitigate stress and support the nervous system through evidence-based spatial standards.