Creating a healthy lifestyle in your Lowcountry Home
Homebuilders across the Lowcountry have taken on new challenges in the post-pandemic years. Today’s homeowners are prioritizing their health and wellness, an interest they have extended to their new home’s construction and features, as they make the connection between their home and their health. Floorplans, finish selections, and building/ mechanical systems are some of the key elements that promote a sense of well-being in the home.
The “well” home is not to be confused with the “green” home. While they may work together, the “well” home promotes health while the “green” home promotes energy efficiency. “Understanding a client’s goals for their home is one of the most important details of a new home build,” says Matthew Bader, President of Full Circle Development. “While some clients focus on a home’s energy efficiency for utility savings down the road, others are concerned about their how their home will help support a healthy lifestyle. In a perfect world, our clients care about both, and we can guide them to designing and a building a home that will meet all these needs.”
The “well” home’s floor plan promotes a sense of well-being by capitalizing on the human biophysical response to the environment. The floor plan should reflect how the residents will live in their home, identifying rooms for public vs. private entertaining. While some occupants may thrive on noisy spaces, others may need quiet – devoid of appliances, television, and other stimulants. Designing these lifestyle preferences into the home plan will benefit everyone’s long-term mental and emotional health. One of the most popular Lowcountry floor plan trends is integrating screened porches, open-air courtyards, and sunrooms into the home – connecting nature to the built home. Oversized windows maximize natural light which promotes better mental acuity, mood, and sleep patterns. Also re-emerging in many homes is the mud room. Used as a transition space between outside and inside, the mud room is a place for dirty shoes, backpacks, and jackets to be stored, keeping dirt from being dragged throughout the home.
Finish selections for the “well” home are numerous. Reducing VOCs, volatile organic compounds, is a key ingredient to the healthy home finish. Manufacturers of gypsum wall board, interior paint, flooring, and cabinets have responded to consumer requests for products and materials that are attractive, non-toxic, and easy to clean. The most touched surfaces in the home are the kitchen and bathroom counters. New advances in counter material incorporate natural stone with antimicrobial synthetics. When partnered with hands-free faucets which automatically turn on with a sensor, germs do not have a chance! Appliance manufacturers have also embraced consumer’s healthy initiatives by offering washers, dryers and dishwashers that meet a higher standard for their sanitizing cycle to make sure that they eliminate bacteria, allergens and microorganisms that could be harmful.
“The most important features in a healthy home are the building products and mechanicals as they create a dry, clean, pest-free, and thermally controlled envelope for the home,” states Bader. “The Lowcountry’s wet, humid environment is a breeding ground for mold, so building a well-sealed and waterproofed home is a primary key ingredient.” The exterior envelope of the home is a layering of materials that provide protection from the natural environment – house wrap, siding, and roofing to weatherproof, Low-E2 windows to filter UV rays, and insulation to provide a thermal barrier. This envelope tends to create such a tight shell that builders striving for a “well” home will need to integrate an air exchange system into the heating and cooling system. This allows for any off gassing to escape and for fresh air to enter the home, providing better indoor air quality. Controlling the air quality is also achieved through vented stovetops and bathrooms. Additionally, some homeowners will upgrade their home with a water purification system. These systems have become more common in the marketplace and are available for the whole-home or for single appliances and plumbing fixtures.
While each homeowner’s definition of a “well” home may be different, a “well” home is attainable for everyone. Partnering with a reputable builder who provides a wellbuilt home and who can understand your healthy lifestyle goals will ensure success. It is an exciting time to build in the Lowcountry with professionals who are building homes that truly reflect the individual style and priorities of the people who live there.
Matthew Bader, Owner of Full Circle Development, has been a custom homebuilder for over 15 years. As the 2023 Immediate Past President of the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association, Matthew is an advocate for the local homebuilding industry and its members.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MATTHEW BADER, FULL CIRCLE DEVELOPMENT
