An Architectural Design Revolution: A MCAA Research Project Links our Interior Domestic Space to Nature
Due to the global increase in population, as people live more urbanised lifestyles, there is a growing potential for losing regular ‘contact with Nature.’ This circumstance diminishes access to human health and wellbeing benefits of daily interactions with the natural world and leads us to a sensorial deprived built environment. Green architecture has decreased the impact of the built environment on the ecosystems , but it has accomplished little in the way of reconnecting us to the natural world: the missing piece in the puzzle of sustainable development. To maximize dwellers’ connectivity to the natural environment in new and existing communities, new architectural design knowledge and useful creative strategies at all levels and scales of design, are urgently needed.
I carry out my individual research project Nature-In, “New Sustainable Nature-Inclusive Architectural Devices for the Transformation of our Interior Dwelling Space: through Selected Case Studies,”[1] at The Royal Danish Academy, School of Architecture, Institute of Architecture and Design, in Copenhagen. The study focuses on producing a catalogue of potential sustainable architectural devices and recommendations to increase our connection to Nature through our interior domestic space experience, and thus mitigate this important problem.
I gain knowledge from exemplary postwar-Danish and traditional-Japanese buildings that offer remarkable sensory experiences of the natural world by complex mechanisms. Thus, our architectural heritage informs a sustainable contemporary architectural design.
Do you know what the benefits of living in contact with nature for human beings are?
Interaction with nature can enhance the inclusivity, equitability and livability of the cities, improve mental and physical health, wellbeing, clarity of thought, productivity, and even creativity of the population. It can lead to less illness, stress, irritability, mental fatigue, blood pressure, and aggressiveness, as well as increase the rates of recovery from sickness. Moreover, it can reduce domestic and urban violence, and foster social cohesion, self-esteem and good mood.
After many countries around the world have been into lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19, we have realized how human health and well-being are inextricably linked to nature and how important the design of our interior domestic space is. For these reasons, Nature-In is more relevant than ever.
How can we improve our daily connection to the natural world from our interior domestic space in an urban context?
Biophilic Design, a little explored emerging approach that pursues sustainable design strategies to reconnect people with the natural environment, represents a design revolution. This is not about greening our buildings or increasing their aesthetic appeal through integrating plants, but something more complex and ambitious. Biophilic Design is about establishing a mutual respect and enriching relations between humanity and Nature. It refers to an architecture experienced by all senses — sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, and movement — sometimes without visual contact or a tangible link to the natural surroundings — and being aware of the passing of the time, Nature´s changes along the day or the cycles along the year or seasons. It is a timely vision not just about sustainable design strategies but also about how we can fulfil modern society in harmony with Nature.
Large scale biophilic design endeavours are not always possible, due to the fact that space within high density urban centres is scarce. In this sense, architectural design strategies of the interior space offer an important research field to reach micro-restorative experiences through the link to Nature. Nature-In contributes to answering this important question:
Linking Architectural Design and Ecology.
A fascinating study of Danish and Japanese architectural case-studies
Biophilic Design is an innovative design paradigm, but in many respects harks back to previous architectural practices and principles, revealed in buildings throughout architectural history. While the internationally renowned post-war Danish buildings built in the 50’s and early 60’s left a leading European legacy that has greatly influenced the domestic sphere and has further created the developing framework of the Danish quality of life; in Japan, life has traditionally been understood to be in communion with Nature. In my selected case studies, there is a connection to the surrounding nature and the variations that take place over time and seasons; the changes of nature are ever-present, architecture harmonizes with nature, there is a world of relationships between the interior and exterior space.
● Nature-In builds the 1st synthetic overview, unfolding from Architectural Interior, Landscape, and Biophilic Design approaches to what devices are in these cases in Denmark and Japan to link the interior space and Nature.
● It reveals how, why and what architectural devices among these, can be used to enhance sensory experience of nature from interior domestic spaces of the future and thus facilitate the inclusion of biophilic design patterns into our built environment.
● The aim of these actions is to gain knowledge and understanding from our architectural heritage, to bridge the gap between praxis and research, and improve the health and wellbeing of society in the EU and beyond.
My study is still in progress, but it reveals that these case-studies provide unique biophilic experiences which lessons can contribute to enhancing the health and wellbeing of communities through daily interaction with Nature in urban areas in the EU and beyond.
Acknowledgement: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement number 896651.
Carmen García Sánchez is an experienced practising architect and PhD in Architectural Design. As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow, she carries out her research Nature-In, “New Sustainable Nature-Inclusive Architectural Devices for the Transformation of our Interior Dwelling Space: through Selected Case Studies,” as a post-doctoral researcher at the Royal Danish Academy — Institute of Architecture and Design — through a fascinating combination of artistic, technical and historical research.
Additionally, as an experienced practising architect, she has been involved in intense research into new materials and construction systems, interpretation of architectural references, urban and technical regulations. She has participated in the development of diverse Architectural Design Innovative Teaching Projects, at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, School of Architecture, Architectural Design Department, BA Architecture studies: where she has explored the role of Gamification in Architectural Design education. She has experience in teaching through interaction design, co-design, innovative education methodologies (Flipped classroom, Learning based on Challenges, Design Thinking, Collective Intelligence), experimental design, and recycling.
