Regenerative Architecture: Context and Place

Abstract

Architecture is not outside of the laws of nature, yet architects design to do just that; defy the natural cycles and systems of nature. Nature should be seen as the model for everything that can be designed and constructed. Nature has had around 3.8 billion years to perfect itself and its processes. Everything in nature is well adjusted to its context and its through nature’s understanding of it's context that it has allowed itself to survive and thrive. Architecture should do the same. Architecture can thrive when it is actively engages the natural environment and addresses the human interaction needed to activate that environment. The natural environment is an equal partner in architecture. Current standard conventions for addressing this issue are extremely superficial and only scratch the surface. "An open floor plan" and “plentiful windows and curtain walls,” among other things, is the way the current convention for connecting the built environment to its natural surroundings functions. This connection is not just about what you can and cannot see or how far removed you feel from development; this connection should be seen as fully immersing yourself into what nature is and what it has to offer, the processes and codes in which nature operates, and how nature sustains itself, now and in the future. This thesis seeks to bring these concepts into the realm of architecture, and by doing so, it will create a better and healthier lifestyle and help people understand and respond to their own context in a new and more fulfilling way.