Essay

Breaking the Boundary

Usually, nature is thought of as something “outside”. But what happens when the line between “inside” and “outside” blur? How can we bring nature into architecture?

In his book Natural Architecture, Alessandro Rocca writes about the notion of architecture as “sheltering” us from nature. (1) In fact, his book Natural Architecture explains how nature can be “exposed” through design — to ultimately fight this convention where architecture is only a “shelter”.

While this is very interesting, I can’t help but wonder if there are other novel ways to “expose” nature —- indoors.

You are only limited by your imagination.

Have You Considered This?

Why would it be important for a worker, for instance, to feel nature while in their office? Wouldn’t it hamper productivity?

Actually, the opposite is true.

By integrating nature with all of the other technologies that go into an office building, the actual work areas will be even more effective — by “exposing’ nature in just the right way.

Here’s a very simple example:

• Office environments are so predictable. They rarely change. They are not interactive. They don’t have 

• seasons

•  in the same way nature does.

Perhaps an office environment has elements that change color at different points in the year, to complement and expose whatever actual season it happens to be (winter, spring, summer or fall) —- thus, changing occupant moods…

In the winter, colors could be calming and happy; while, in the summer, colors could be cooling and refreshing.

This would serve to unify the office team atmosphere in addition to livening up dreary winter months and “de-stressing” busy summer months.

Also, all of this could be done to complement an overarching corporate culture.

That was just a simple idea — but the key is to not just “shelter” your occupants from nature. When the time is right, you should find novel ways to “expose” them to it.

Blur the boundaries a bit.

Reference:

(1) Rocca, Alessandro. Natural Architecture. DesignBoom.com.

Image Credit: Architect Tadao Ando | © Telstar Logistics | Flickr