Slow Space: 8 Principles of Good Design

1 NATURAL MATERIALS IN THEIR WHOLE, RAW AND AUTHENTIC FORM

We choose to elevate humble, timeless, local materials over the elite, new, and precious. We celebrate the intrinsic qualities of materials, including the idiosyncrasies and perceived imperfections, which make them unique and beautiful. Far from representing disorder, these qualities represent another higher order of a natural world that is constantly in flux.

2 TRACES OF TIME 

We celebrate time in the marks left by the process of making, weathering and use (and by observing something closely). Nature and weather are dynamic, unstable, and unpredictable, as seen from the deserts in North Africa to rainforests in Brazil to volcanoes in Japan. In Norway the word for weather is “vær” and the verb “å være” means “to be.” 

Therefore the whole notion of existence there is “to be in a changing, shifting, unpredictable world.” In Buddhism this observation equates to the concepts of ephemerality, transience, and impermanence in life. Buddhists believe we have more than one life on Earth so there is time enough to slow down and observe all the details.

3 SOFT EDGES AND BLURRED BOUNDARIES EXPERIENCED THROUGH MOVEMENT 

In the nordics for half of the year there is continuous twilight where the sun’s oblique angles create a moody, shifting light. The light creates space that has no distinct boundary or clear form. Nothing is in sharp relief. Nothing feels permanent. Everything is changing and experiential. 

So too with the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic where things “have a vague, blurry or attenuated quality – as things do as they approach nothingness (or come out of it).” These soft edges must be experienced through proprioception, our body’s movement through space, sometimes referred to as the sixth sense.

4 MUTED PALETTE OF MATERIALS, COLORS AND LIGHT THAT SOOTHE THE MIND AND BODY 

Natural materials, earth tones, and the colors of the sky at dawn and dusk are both familiar and achingly beautiful. They complement and balance each other and create a neutral and inclusive environment that everyone can relate to and customize in their own way. This is an easy way to bring the calming effects of nature into the home.

5 INTIMATE SPACES FOR INTROSPECTION, TO CONNECT WITH ONESELF AND OTHERS 

The word “room” evolved from the Norwegian word “rydning,” which means clearing. Space, therefore, is a clearing in the forest, an aperture in nature that humans have created and where they live, and an intimate space is one that prioritizes the individual. 

The Japanese metaphor of space as a bowl, a fluid circular shape to be filled with possibilities, is also an intimate space, focused inward to “enhance one’s capacity for metaphysical musings.” 

Many African cultures use circles to represent the interconnectivity of all aspects of one’s being, including the connection with the natural world. African circle dances reflect another form of intimacy through community, unity, and inclusion.

6 SENSORY DETAILS THAT AROUSE ALL MODES OF HUMAN PERCEPTION 

We perceive the world with all of our senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and movement. Instances where one comes in contact with the building, like the door handle at Villa Mairea by Alvar Aalto, are opportunities for deep sensory connection. This is also true in wabi-sabi, where things “beckon: get close, touch, [and] relate. They inspire a reduction in the psychic distance between one thing and another, between people and things.”

7 SIMPLE FORMS EXPRESSING AN ECONOMY OF MEANS, GRACEFULLY AND WITHOUT PRETENSE 

Folkcraft, indigenous, and vernacular buildings such as barns, smoke houses, longhouses, and yurts are both efficient and poetic. The form of these structures has evolved over time and bears the wisdom of culture and experience.

8 COEXIST INTENTIONALLY 

We promote purposeful, intimate, and ethical interactions between citizens, where the architecture focuses on people, rather than the building itself. In Japan, wabi-sabi principles suggest that no one thing should be more important than another and buildings should coexist easily with their context. 

In the Nordic Region this goes further to say no person should be more important than any other and all people are equal. This social responsibility is evident in the humanism of Nordic Design and our work at Aamodt / Plumb.

These 8 Principles of Good Design are derived from our belief that good, clean and fair housing is a human right. Read our article, SLOW SPACE: GOOD, CLEAN AND FAIR ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION, to learn why we created the Slow Space movement and made it our mission to create homes that are good, clean and fair.

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At its best, a good building achieves Slow Space, a carefully crafted physical space that creates the right atmosphere and conditions for slowing time and fostering deep, meaningful experiences. 

The clock may not literally beat slower, but our experience of the place will be as if it had. At Aamodt / Plumb we strive to create good buildings, which we define as empathetic, experiential, beautiful, and connected to nature. 

Slow Space is a carefully crafted physical space that creates the right  conditions for slowing down.

Empathy 

Empathy is a deep understanding of another person’s emotions and needs. It allows us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. This human-centered design approach focuses on people first to highlight equity, social values, and empowering the community. Empathy is how we understand the world around us, including our physical environment. 

Beauty 

Beauty can evoke joy, inspiration, awe, a connection to something spiritual, or even consolation in our times of sorrow. A good building must be beautiful because beauty evokes a deep emotional response and an ineffable connection to something bigger than ourselves. Architecture should create beauty not just in the occasional monuments and sacred spaces, but also in the everyday moments of the home where we spend most of our time. 

The visions of beauty we admire are based on a deep appreciation and close observation of nature.

There are many definitions of beauty and we draw inspiration from sources across the globe. Some definitions of beauty praise order and perfection and others revere the machine as a source of inspiration, but the visions of beauty that we admire are based on a deep appreciation and close observation of nature. This is evident in cultures found in places around the world, ranging from the Nordics, to Japan, to Africa and South America, whose clear respect for nature and its power is reflected in what they create.

Connection To Nature 

The ideal conditions for slowing down, reflecting, and engaging our senses exist in nature. Our bodies are part of nature and rely on its clean water, air, and soil to survive. As the Norwegian Architect and theoretician Christian Nordberg-Schulz wrote, “nature implies nearness and empathy; here one lives with and among things, as a participant in a web of phenomena.” Rather than separating us, a good building connects us with nature and allows us to understand our place in the world. 

Experience Of Space 

The experience of space impacts us in profound and meaningful ways. Our physical environment is an extension of our own bodies, and the sounds, smells, and sights are mapped onto our brains, affecting our wellbeing in subconscious ways. At Aamodt / Plumb we use this phenomenological approach, choosing to focus on the spatial experience, rather than the form of the building as the driving force in design.

We manifest these core ideas of good buildings in a set of eight principles of good design.

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In England, the rest of Europe and the United States hygge has become an overhyped trend. Now widely branded as the Danish concept of coziness, hygge sells… everything from fur blankets to spendy candles and cashmere sweaters. And coffee-table books. And lifestyle magazines.

And, “Hygge is catnip to social media,” writes Charlotte Higgins in her long read “The hygge conspiracy” in The Guardian.

Grasping the idea of hygge

Hygge is being in and enjoying the moment, the mindful acknowledgement and gratitude of the simple pleasures of life — the food, friends, the conversation, music, even the air. Hygge lies not in buying the prettiest candle at your favorite design store. Hygge is appreciating the beautiful warm glow of candlelight on a dark night

Hygge is appreciating the beautiful warm glow of candlelight on a dark night.

Being hyggelig means being kind, caring and welcoming; with yourself, with the people around you, with the world.

We sat down with our firm’s co-founder, architect Mette Aamodt, to talk about what hygge means to her personally, how she creates hygge moments for herself and her loved ones, and how you can manifest the feeling in your own life. Mette was born in Norway and lived there full time until she was four. As a kid she spent summers there and now as much time as she can as an adult. She understands hygge as a fundamentally Scandinavian concept, not exclusive to Denmark, and it is an important part of Mette’s cultural identity and approach to life. She very much likes the idea that hygge means wellbeing and thinks it goes so well with our philosophy of slowness.

Gathering around the campfire with family and friends — a perfectly hyggelig experience for Mette Aamodt.

In her article “The Metaphysics of Time, Space, Spacetime and Slow Space,” published on theSlow Spaceblog, she discusses the difference between the two Greek concepts of time: kronos and kairos. Hygge is very much kairos, or quality time.

Some excerpts, edited for brevity:

“… Society has been evolving rapidly over the last 200 years, and mechanical technology helped people overcome their inherent slowness. The Digital Revolution of the twentieth century allowed us to move information instantaneously. Faster processing allowed for faster machines. Architecture continued its love-affair with technology. Computer-aided design, manufacturing and fabrication allowed architecture to overcome its inherent slowness and the speed was exhilarating. A prolific era of image-making and rapid building created ‘Starchitects’ whose iconic buildings were consumed worldwide in magazines and social media.

“The scarcity that exists today is time. Carl Honoré, author of In Praise of Slowness, writes, ‘All the things that bind us together and make life worth living – community, family, friendship – thrive on the one thing we never have enough of: time.’

“But not all time is the same. Actually, the Ancient Greeks had two different conceptions of time — chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to chronological or sequential time. Kairos refers to a moment of indeterminate length in which an event of significance happens. A good analogy for this is when the ball drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Counting down — 10, 9, 8 — is chronos time: It is specific and measurable. But when the ball gets to zero, time switches to kairos. We cheer, toast, kiss one another and celebrate. No one is counting anymore. We are just living in the moment and enjoying the experience of being together.”

Hygge is noticing and appreciating tiny details, such as the whimsical play of light in your kitchen.

A conversation on hygge with Mette Aamodt

A / P: What’s your personal definition of hygge?

Mette: Hygge is a state of mind, an attitude, a feeling. The fundamentals of hygge are very connected to the idea of slowness. It’s not about the stuff, the blankets, the branded this and that. It’s definitely not a design style. It’s the opposite of that. It’s about enjoying the simple pleasures of life. It’s coziness. It’s feeling comfortable in your body and in your mind and in your space.

(Good reads: Visit the Slow Space blog to learn more about the Slow Space Movement Mette has initiated)

You have to create hygge from inside, and it comes out. Sometimes, things on the outside can trigger that hyggelig feeling — like when you have a cup of tea, and you take a deep breath, and you just enjoy. When the Norwegians go walking in the woods, they always bring chocolate with them. After you’ve been walking for a while, and you enjoy being in nature, which, of course, is part of the whole experience, then, when you’re ready for a break, you sit down on a tree stump, and you break out the chocolate and enjoy that moment. It’s appreciation.

Hygge is a state of mind, an attitude, a feeling.

Name that feeling

A / P: Do we really need to adopt a Scandinavian word to describe a feeling?

Mette: It’s important to name feelings, so you can express them to someone else. Hygge is a very common expression in Norway. When you have a common name for something, it’s easier to share it. You need a word in order to share it.

You need a word in order to share it.

A / P: You were born in Norway and lived there until you were four. Do you remember how hygge came into your life?

Mette: Well, it’s just part of the Norwegian language. I wasn’t aware of that until I was older, and Norwegian friends were talking about it as a concept. They would say, ‘Nå skal vi hygge oss’ meaning ‘Now we will enjoy ourselves.’ When I look back, I see that it was the idea of it, and the feeling of it was always there, in everyday life.

Hygge is celebrating the simple pleasures of life with friends: “Nå skal vi hygge oss” (Now we will enjoy ourselves). © Jane Messinger

A / P: Is hygge expressed differently in the United States than it is in Scandinavia?

Mette: Yes, because it’s not part of the American culture. It’s just a trend here, really. When I lived in Norway, it was just part of the way of life. A way to enjoy and appreciate what you have and make the most out of that. In the wintertime in Oslo, when there’s maybe three hours of very low sunlight, how do you make the most out of this sort of eternal darkness? You have to embrace it. The Norwegians are very good at that. You dim the lights and have lots of candles everywhere, and you have that nighttime feeling all the time and, actually, you look forward to it. It feels very comforting and warm and inviting.

A / P: Why do you think hygge resonates with people in the US and in other countries right now?

Mette: Something I read was talking about how we just need a little comfort now, especially because the hygge trend really started in the UK in 2016, the year of Trump and Brexit. You want to be able to think about the things that make you happy and that make you feel good. Many Nordic words influenced the English language and some say that hygge is the root of the word ‘hug’ because it has to do with comforting. Maybe we all just need a big hug right now.

Maybe we all just need a big hug right now.

Hygge is not materialistic. Hygge should be seen within the context of Scandinavian ideas of simplicity. And I think that is more appealing now to people than it used to be.  The idea of slowness gets at the same core of appreciating the simple things in life, creating that sense of community and connection with other people. And comfort and wellbeing. I love the idea of wellbeing. So slowing down is another way of saying it.

A / P: Can you bring about hygge?

Mette: Yes, and you can and should cultivate that feeling. Have a dinner party with friends, with good food and conversation and it will happen. You create the environment and the situation for it. You are inviting it, and then it will come.

A / P: What’s a perfectly hyggelig experience for you?

Mette: Sitting around the campfire with my friends and family. There is something nice about being outside but also having the fire and being together in a small group.

Hyggelig by design

A / P: Put hygge in the context of architecture…

Mette: Hygge is about being present and enjoying whatever it is you are doing in the place you are doing it. Whatever you are eating and drinking, just breath and feel and eat. When you are in a space just pause and feel what it is like to be there. Is it comforting? That’s really what we want for our architecture. We want to create environments that encourage people to just be present and be in the moment… and to feel hygge again. There’s only so much we can do from the outside, but, still, certain environments do make you feel more comfortable, more relaxed, more at ease. The lighting is low, the colors are muted. We want people to have a space where they can really connect with one another, and they really feel like being together in a place.

Designing for the senses and designing with empathy is all part of it. Good architecture can encourage hygge. So focusing on space and the feeling of the space, the materials and bringing nature into the space… and awaken the five senses, so you can start to feel your body a little bit more, and maybe you can start to feel a little bit more present. That’s what we aspire to do.

It’s not about the style. It’s about the space and how it feels. And different people will respond to different materials and different types of spaces. There isn’t a formula, per se. But there are things that, in general, make people feel comfortable. And that has to do with, as much as possible, bringing in things from nature — through materials and by inviting in natural daylight through the windows and doors.

It’s not about the style. It’s about the space and how it feels.

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To be clear, the best light to illuminate your home is the sun. If I could turn it on at night, I often would. And when I design the lighting for a home, I consider, and often copy, how the sun illuminates the interior of the house.

Natural light has an amazing effect on people. It’s like a smile; people instinctively associate it with happiness. This phenomenon, the universal association between physical sensation and emotion, makes natural light so powerful and full of beauty.

A cozy corner in our studio fills with natural light in the middle of the day, making it an ideal spot for our little café.

People experience the world both consciously and unconsciously, and just as our conscious experiences stimulate conscious memories, our unconscious experiences stimulate unconscious memories. The most experientially fulfilling spaces use both ideas (allusion and symbolism) to stimulate conscious memories and the senses to stimulate unconscious memories.

Natural Light stimulates people both visually and thermally. Firstly, natural light, like all light, has a color. When natural light shines in a space, it changes the tones of what it illuminates. Secondly, natural light warms. We all know what it feels like to sit in the sun; we all have memories of playing outside on sunny days. When a space is filled with natural light, it takes on the tones of the sun and its temperature rises. The specific combination of colors and temperature stimulates our unconscious memories. We remember what it feels like to be in the sun, and we experience the spectrum of emotions tied to those memories. So when we design with natural light, we are designing with emotions, and whenever possible, we want to paint those emotions on the surfaces of a space. With artificial lights, we call this washing, but with natural light, we call it bathing.

The patchwork of concrete and brick walls in our studio are painted white to highlight the color of the sun, while using the texture of the masonry to reflect and diffuse the light.

When light shines on a surface, not only does the surface pick up the qualities of the light, but the light picks up the qualities of that surface; a surface’s color, texture and reflectivity change the quality of light in a space.

There are two ways to light a space; directly or indirectly. Direct light travels from the light source into a space directly, while indirect light reflects off or refracts through a surface, picking up the colors and textures of that surface before it enters a space.

When we design the lighting for a room, it is often helpful to think of that room as a lamp. A lamp has three basic parts: primarily, there is a light source, and depending on the kind of lamp, there is a reflector and/or a lens. The light source of a lamp is a light bulb, but for a room, it’s the sun. Reflectors and lenses for lamps come in many shapes and materials, and function in a multitude of ways. Generally, a reflector is a surface that changes the qualities, direction and intensity of light through reflection, and a lens is a surface that changes the qualities, direction and intensity of light, through refraction. In a traditional lamp, the lampshade is both a reflector and a lens, but for a room, every surface, window, curtain, wall, floor, ceiling, etc., can act as a reflector or a lens.

Light diffusion in a lamp compared with light diffusion in a space.

Once you begin to see the surfaces of your home as an integral part of the lighting design, you begin to understand the importance of the materials, as they influence how you feel in your home. A material’s texture is often the first thing we notice in a room, but we human beings are terrible at understanding texture with our eyes. Think of a rough exposed brick wall; you know what it would feel like to rub your hand against it. The bricks would have one texture, rough but still fine, and the mortar would have a different, coarser texture. Now, imagine the same wall and try to picture every bump and detail. It’s impossible. Our visual memory does not capture information at the same level of resolution as our kinesthetic memory. At a certain level of complexity, our brain stops trying to understand a visual stimulant as component parts and instead understands it as an incomprehensible whole. This is beauty. At Aamodt / Plumb, we prefer to use natural materials for one simple reason, they are beautiful. The inherent complexity and subtlety of the texture and color created in nature is incomparable to anything created by people. We create beautiful spaces through the calibrated combination of natural light, natural surface materials and an understanding of everyday phenomenology.

Our visual memory does not capture information at the same level of resolution as our kinesthetic memory.

The spaces where you live, work and visit have a huge impact on your life, health and mood. That is why we started the Slow Space Movement, to create buildings of enduring value for the world, using the planet’s precious resources judiciously and wisely, and supporting the community of artisans and craftspeople.

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After graduating from Barnard I received a Japanese Monbusho Research Fellowship given out by their Department of Education and headed off to Japan with very little preparation.

Japan

I arrived bleary-eyed after the long flight to a place where I couldn’t speak to anyone, didn’t know the customs and couldn’t read the neon billboards all around me. Did you see that movie “Lost in Translation”? That was me and I was homesick.

I quickly met up with some other foreign students and started eating out with them at the ramen carts and local sukiyas. Eating was a great source of pleasure for me in Japan, not only for the tasty dishes, but also for the experience.

The handmade earthenware, beautiful arrangements, intimate atmosphere and the rituals of serving tea and other dishes delighted my senses and made me feel welcome.

I admired the everyday objects like the tea cups and rice bowls and began to seek out the handmade ceramics at the studios of local artists. Their irregular shapes and finishes, the evidence of the hand of the maker and the natural process of kiln drying captivated me.

Wabi Sabi

The Japanese concept of beauty is called wabi-sabi and it centers around the notion of transience and imperfection. It is for the Japanese what the Greek orders and perfection are for the west. Wabi-sabi is simplicity, austerity, authenticity, intimacy, modesty, irregularity. It embodies a sense of melancholy and spiritual longing that comes from Buddhist teachings. But with that longing is also a sense of possibility and openness. There is not one correct answer, like the Golden Mean, but many possible outcomes and that inspires me.

In every other way I was an outsider but in wabi-sabi there was room for me. The tea cups that I collected that year fill me up with their imperfect beauty because I can complete the story myself in many different ways.

The image is from Japanese ceramic artist Shinobu Hashimoto. His work can be found at his site hashimotoshinobu.com and you can watch him work here on his youtube channel.

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