Reconnecting with Nature: Charlotte' Church’s Biophilic Retreat offers Healing and Wonder. The Elan Valley, nestled in the heart of mid-Wales, is a hidden gem of serene beauty and wild grandeur. Here, the landscape unfurls in soft, rolling hills, dotted with ancient woodlands and heather-clad slopes, while the deep, verdant valleys are carved by the meandering course of crystal-clear rivers. The air is fresh, tinged with the earthy scent of moss and pine, and the sky, often painted in hues of blue or grey, seems endless above this tranquil expanse.

Here is where The Dreaming is.

The Dreaming, which is a haven and a place of retreat for everyone, is the creation of Charlotte Church. Charlotte. Is known to many as a singer, but maybe fewer know her as a visionary of this beautiful space in Wales. It’s a place where she is manifesting her vision to help people reconnect with nature, both inside and out, where biophilia threads through the hills, waterfalls, valleys and right into the house where you stay.

And it is this house which is the epitome of Biophilic Design. It is designed not only with heart and honesty, but has been a work of love by Charlotte and the designers who helped create this home. The former home of the designer, Laura Ashley has fallen into disrepair when Charlotte came across the land.

Turning her desire to make a difference in the world for people and planet, the land informed her decision to create a retreat centre, transforming the land and the house into a Biophilic haven.

In a secluded corner of the Welsh countryside, internationally renowned singer-songwriter Charlotte has created a sanctuary that blends the power of nature, music, and design. The Dreaming, her newly opened retreat centre, is a testament to her lifelong passion for the restorative qualities of the natural world.

What can we learn from Ancient Roman balneology?

In Biophilic Design we speak about the importance of how the environment we are in affects our senses. This sensorial approach is a key feature of a human-centric mode of design. Why we would consider designing spaces which harm our minds, physical health and negatively affect our ability to focus or be creative is beyond me. Thankfully, this disconnect between understanding how to create spaces harmonious to our senses is losing ground, with the advent of the Biophilic Design movement.

This was one of the main reasons I was excited to interview Dr Giacomo Savani, who specialises in ancient Roman balneology. What is that you might ask? Balneology, as he explains in this podcast, is the study of baths and bathing, how water, springs and spas also can heal. Readers of our Journal and listeners to the podcast, will probably have some understanding of the concept of the “Blue Mind”, how water has such a positive affect on us. Dr Savani has taken this a few steps further and looked at the physical and sensorial aspects of ancient Roman bathing, and we discuss in this podcast, how we might learn from their experiences and design practices and bring aspects into our designs today.

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