I only recently discovered Slow Home thanks to architect Bob Swinburne of Vermont. In a video introduction Founding Editor John Brown (an architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary) describes Slow Home as “a new design environment that will help you learn about Modern residential design and how to start integrating the principles of good design into your daily life.”
The site has a number of informative features that illuminate the rewards of good design and the failures of ill-considered design. The Design Studio category includes telling segments titled “What’s Wrong With This House?” in which Brown provides voice-over analysis and recommendations for drawings that he shares via video. The News category includes both pithy clips from other media sources and Slow Home announcements that pertain to residential discourse, events, and updates. For a quick overview of what to expect on the site for a given week check out the Slow Home Report videos.
Though the aesthetic of the work featured on the site is Modernistic, I don’t believe the thinking behind the Slow Home movement need be strictly associated with a specific style. Their site states, “In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home provides design focused information to empower each of us to take more control of our homes and improve the quality of where and how we live.” I believe such information could empower readers to pursue authentic design, no matter their aesthetic preferences.
by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast