Just like the body, a home needs balance. And just as there’s no single miracle food that keeps us healthy, there’s no single material, style, or design rule that guarantees well-being.
I often say this in my courses: designing a home is like preparing a good meal. It requires variety, care, proportion. It’s all about composition.
A clay wall can regulate humidity. Untreated wood can scent the air and bring it to life. A natural stone floor, if thoughtfully paired with light, can become a surface that refreshes and connects. But it all depends on how you mix the elements.
A so-called “eco-home” isn’t built from magical ingredients. It’s built from consistent choices. Just like with the Mediterranean diet, the overall structure matters more than any single component.
It’s pointless to fill a house with words like “green,” “natural,” or “eco-friendly” if the design ignores real life—daily habits, actual needs, climate, and rhythms.
True sustainability is never rigid. It’s flexible, thoughtful, and adaptive. It requires a kind of deep common sense that feels more like ancestral wisdom than a passing trend.
That’s why, whenever I begin a new project, I ask myself: what’s the right mix for this home? What’s the balance between breathability and protection? Between openness and shelter? Between full light and restorative shadow?
The answers are never the same. But the principle always is: blend wisely, with care, and with respect.
Designing this way doesn’t mean giving up beauty. It means understanding that true beauty—the kind that lasts—always begins with internal harmony. Just like health. Just like us.