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Klyee
Belonging is feeling accepted as I am and feeling safe and protected where I am.
Their Story
Klyee defines belonging as feeling safe, accepted, and able to connect with others without being pushed. Travel and the pandemic sharpened her sensitivity to micro-environmental conditions like lighting, color, nature, and flexible interiors as tools for comfort and inclusion. She also sees belonging as something designers can actively produce by listening beyond the brief and designing with ecological care that reintegrates plants and animals into daily life.
In Their Words
"I got drawn to the built environment because I feel like it has a lot of power to change the way we interact with one another… a powerful tool for creating positive experiences for people."
"I studied abroad in Denmark… the way that they deal with lighting there really changed my perspective… I don't think I'll ever sit in a space that doesn't have at least like four lamps."
"We found ways to get outside… camping became an important part… our way to get out of the tight confinement of our rooms… and just enjoy each other's company and feel separate and safe."
"Now with architecture, I'm always thinking about how we can get more plants and more animals to re-engage with our built works?"
"Flexible furniture and flexible pieces allow us to create different ways we want to hang out… I'm on the spectrum… I get uncomfortable and I'm like, I need to sit a different way now… be in a chair… on the floor… in a bean bag."
"I think engagement means not only reaching out to the communities who will use these spaces, but also engaging with the environment… The brief is just a starting point… the kids needed a space to calm down… we integrated tiny spaces… but that's not in the brief."
"I have lived a pretty transient life… for me it's always been the person… I feel homesick for people."
Ideal Home
Fireplace
Klyee's ideal home drawing presents a shared living room shaped by a hanging fireplace at the center, with people settling onto colorful pillows and wide windows opening to forest and grass, making warmth and easy togetherness the main feeling of home.
