Website work has a way of clarifying your message. About 6 years ago, during a website refresh, we eventually landed on the tagline, “We help families live longer in homes they love.” At the time, it felt like a good summary of our work and vision. We were focusing on aging in place, thinking about how families change over time, and considering how design might make those transitions easier and more supportive. We wanted to design homes that allowed people to stay in them for a long time.
Just this week, I’m pleased to share that I’ve earned my WELL AP credential. And while WELL is most often used in commercial projects, it does provide a complementary lens for our work designing homes for single-family clients and independent living communities. There are lots of building standards out there: we are familiar with green building standards and sustainability goals that measure energy use, environmentally friendly materials, and water efficiency. The WELL standard emphasizes the human dimension, focusing on the health and well-being of the people who live in, work in, and visit a building.
And what does the WELL Building Standard measure? The concepts reflect the types of conditions that correlate with human health and well-being: Air, Water, Sound, Light, Nourishment, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Materials, Mind, Community. And the parameters set in the standard are explained in terms of their impacts on people: earning points for features in the Light concept requires attention to circadian rhythms, glare, and how light is perceived by the eyes. This isn’t just about what type of light bulb you select – it’s about how the quality of that light can affect your sleep and focus.
That alignment between good design and healthy living isn’t new at TPD: our Aging in Place training has influenced all of our work, helping us think about how people live and move in their homes, who visits there, ease of use, and safety. The WELL AP training adds another layer to our design process: it will shape the kinds of questions we ask clients, the types of spaces we design, the qualities of those spaces, and the opportunities for designing new spaces that support healthy living for all of the people we design for.
Ten years ago, we were focused on how to help people live longer in their homes. We were already thinking about designing for longevity, independence, and well-being. The new letters behind my name reflect that long-standing commitment, informed by a deeper understanding of how the built environment supports human health. Our tagline won’t change: we will continue to help people live longer in homes they love. We just understand how to do that a little better.
