business spotlight
Wellness by Design
Health Food Store Renovations Foster Health and Embrace Nature by Meredith Montgomery
F
airhope Health Foods employees smile when they hear customers say, “We love your new expansion!” When you walk through the new double-door entrance, the updated space does feel bigger, but in reality, it’s not. “It shows you how much good lighting, fresh color and views to the outdoors can transform your experience of a space,” says architect and owner of WATERSHED, Rebecca Bryant, who guided the design of the store’s recent renovations. Fairhope Health Foods, the first health food store in Lower Alabama, opened in 1975. Along with Virginia’s Health Foods (their sister store in Mobile), they are known for excellent customer service and expansive product inventory. In addition to supplements and health foods (including fresh, organic produce), the stores stock a variety of products that include natural cosmetics, natural pet food and products, eco-friendly cleaning supplies and fair trade gifts. Bryant has been working on plans for their remodel with owner Lynnora Ash since 2017 and construction started around Thanksgiving of last year. “It’s like we do with our bodies—you say you want a healthier, newer you. That’s what we wanted for our store,” says Ash. This health-centered mission inspired Bryant to focus on two strategies—active design (which promotes physical, mental and social well-being) and biophilia design (which connects people to nature).
construction. The implementation of a green cleaning program for after construction is also required by the certification. To foster the health of their staff, the break room was made more private and includes an area for breastfeeding employees that need to pump, plus space for everyone to store their own fresh foods. Better ergonomics is a priority that influenced the addition of sit-to-stand desks. Accessibility upgrades for disabled customers and employees (including restrooms) is a part of Fitwel’s standards and something Ash emphasized early in the process. Since moving to their current location in 2001, they have expanded several times. “That’s why there were poles in the middle of some of the aisles—the current space used to be three separate stores. Lynnora started in one of the spaces and expanded her store into two more,” explains Bryant. By shifting the aisles so the poles are no longer blocking the path, they appear wider and are now more accessible for wheelchairs.
Connecting With Nature Biophilia, a term coined by Alabama native E. O. Wilson, describes our innate affinity with nature. When applied to design, biophilia tries to connect people to nature using spatial relationships, materials, lighting, ventilation, views and actual nature (often in the form of plants). To open the store to outside views,
Healthy Design WATERSHED used the Fitwel guidelines, created by the Center for Active Living, to inspire the design. Custom bike racks are being installed to accommodate customers and employees who wish to take advantage of the sidewalks and bike lanes that are accessible from the store. Inside they used certified low-emitting materials for the floor, ceiling, paints and adhesives, and care was taken to protect the store from indoor air contaminants during 18
Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition
HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com
Lynnora Ash, owner