L.A. Forum and the Aster present: A Panel Discussion on Wellness, Design & the Spaces We Inhabit

We spend most of our lives indoors, yet how often do we consider how our homes are shaping us? Join us for an illuminating conversation exploring the intersection of neuroscience, environmental psychology, and design—and discover how the spaces we create can profoundly impact our mental health, relationships, and daily well-being.

This panel will explore practical applications of neurodesign principles in residential spaces—from how natural elements and spatial flow affect our nervous systems to the role of intentionality in creating homes that feel as good as they look.

Featuring:

Rachel Melvald, author of Psychitecture, who reveals how the design of your home directly impacts your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Grounded in neuroscience and environmental psychology, Rachel's work presents a transformative approach to creating spaces that truly support the way you want to live—where color, light, texture, spatial flow, and natural elements work together to reduce stress and promote inner calm.

Karen Spector, co-founder of Lovers Unite, brings her expertise in branding and interior design for retail and hospitality to the residential realm. An artist and designer whose work has been featured in AD, Dezeen, and Metropolis Magazine, Karen has created environments for nationally recognized brands and brings a conceptual, artistic lens to how we experience the spaces around us.

Nina Weithorn from landscape architecture firm TERREMOTO, whose approach challenges conventional garden design. TERREMOTO creates site-specific landscapes that honor labor, question formal conventions, and ask: what if we designed gardens not for this civilization, but for the next?

Moderated by Frances Anderton

Former host of KCRW’s DnA: Design and Architecture, Frances is the author of the award-winning book Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles and co-creator of The Angeleno Porch: Six Social Spaces Shaping L.A.’s Affordable Housing for the US Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. She is also a lecturer at USC’s School of Architecture, teaching a course on urban housing typologies and a 2025 Santa Monica Artist Fellow.

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L.A. FORUM & THE ASTER PRESENT:

A PANEL DISCUSSION ON WELLNESS, DESIGN, AND THE SPACES WE INHABIT