Filtering by
- All Subjects: Nature
- Creators: The Design School
A study of nature through juxtaposition of Horton's Creek and Tempe Beach Park.
An exploration of green spaces in urban environments, the mental health impacts of these spaces, and the successfulness of their integration into the city fabric. This project culminates in a video that compares a nature walk through an urban environment to a walk through an urban park.
When designing a space, all of the human senses should be considered in order to keep in mind the wellness of the client. How should the built environment be designed for user wellness through a nature-based full-body experience of a space? There are many theories and concepts that have been studied and researched regarding the three concepts that will be touched on. Psychology of design, empathetic design, and nature all connect to each other. These concepts link together, prompting additional questions and needed research to find the answers. This research suggests that Biophilic Design is the answer.
Architecture has the potential to promote introspection when collaborating with natural elements that invoke observation of the natural world. Through a distinct coalition with natural light, materiality, and deliberate design, a space can transcend the user into a new realm that bridges the natural and the built environment. Suppose architecture is organized systemically to solely mediate the user and the natural world, offering opportunities for observation. In that case, it may catalyze the user to access their internal processes and sensations of the world around them. The abstract philosophies of Transcendentalism as a literary form can be translated through architecture as a physical form. Examining proponents of Transcendentalism and its emphasis on nature and individualism can establish a precedent for architecture as a tool for introspection. The works of light Artist James Turrell and the role of experiential architecture further demonstrate how natural light can organically supplement the overall effect of physical space. A synthesis of these underlying paradigms can produce architecture that exceeds its physical form and built environment and, instead, enters a metaphysical realm. This thesis seeks to demonstrate that if programs are designed to be associated with nature, there is an architectural manipulation through the senses and the natural environment, possibly providing opportunities for humans to achieve an elevated sense of introspection. This particular exploration of architecture can further supplement existing design practices and philosophical theories as it joins with nature, potentially promoting an introspective impact on the user’s psyche and cognizance.