Enriching experiences are the essence of everyday life. With modern building techniques speeding up the pace of development, we are surrounded by man made inspiration. But what Inspires mans designs? We’ve always looked towards nature for overall shape; Sea creatures, crab shells and spider webs are among the species and natural artefacts architects have looked to for such inspiration. Gaudi’s house and cathedral took form from the tall forest and its canopy in autumn.
Now we need to begin looking ever-more closely to the natural world for construction lessons with a pressing need to build with limited resources in the face of shrinking material and energy supplies. It’s high time our architectural spaces work in harmony with our surroundings for a conscious life. The quality and luxury of our modern life needn’t be diminished. In many ways we use very crude building techniques when compared to nature. For example, tunneling termites are masters at creating air exchange systems to ventilate their mounds; Far more advanced than our crude use of electricity to power heavily polluting air conditioning units.
By taking lessons from nature, we can build stunning spaces which respond to the geographical conditions around us for cooling & heating, utilising natural plays of light and ventilation for a healthier abode. If we break from the traditional thinking and embrace working with, instead of against nature, we will be enriching our daily lives, whilst conserving the beauty of the world around us. There is little doubt that time spent connecting with nature and the ‘outside’ world improves our well being & health, but the impact of a net zero home reaches far beyond, preserving our planet for generations to wonder at nature’s lessons.
We all strive to live a conscious life. Would you be willing to invest in a net zero home inspired by nature?
