Case Study Report

The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

 Asian Architecture [ARC 2213/2234] PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY

What is Nature Architecture?

A case study on the elements and how Phase 1 & 2 applies to it.

NAME:

WONG ROUNG-JANG

STUDENT ID:

0303368

LECTURER:

Ms. IDA MAZLAN

SUBMISSION DATE:

12th of June, 2014

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

A comparative study on Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort applies it.

Table of Contents

Page

Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 3 1.0

Introduction ...................................................................................................... 4

2.0

The Elements of Nature Architecture ............................................................... 5

3.0

How Architecture blends in with nature ....................................................... 6 - 9

4.0

How can materials give life to the building design and relate it back to nature ..................................................................... 10 - 15

5.0

The differences between Phase 1 and 2.

Are they still considered as Nature architecture?................................... 15 - 19

6.0 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 19 7.0 References .......................................................................................................... 20

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Abstract The purpose of doing a comparative study on Natural Architecture is to understand what exactly is Nature Architecture in terms of design strategies and the choices of materials used. Many would think that Natural Architecture means only using earth-like materials or implementing greenery into the building (issue). With design strategies and materials being the most important feature in Nature Architecture, together with the site context, it is through these 3 main components that Nature Architecture will be properly discovered (objective). In assisting the validation of research, literature reviews based on sources regarding Nature Architecture, Flank Lloyd Wright’s work, The Falling Water House, Sekeping Serendah Warehouse and Echigo Matsunoyama, Japan, were conducted to enhance the process (methodology). In order to provide a wider variation of research, a comparison between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort are taken to represent Nature Architecture. It is obvious that Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort have very different styles. Phase 1 blends in well with nature, allowing the users to appreciate and appreciate the beauty of natural materials. Its main materials used are Timber, Bamboos, Stones and Concrete, thus, creating a sense of peace, appreciation and harmony with the surrounding. Whereas, Phase 2 introduces dominance, making a statement on its own by using only Concrete and Steel as its main materials. Although Phase 2 stands out from its surrounding, the design strategy used allows the users to appreciate nature in terms of views, open spaces and lighting (findings). Hence, it has come to a conclusion that both Phase 1 and Phase 2 has the same idea of Nature Architecture. Allowing users to appreciate nature with a choice of living within or experiencing from a different point of view, despite the difference design approached (conclusion). While one blends with nature, and the other stands out from it, it is a personal fascinating scenario that one should experience because of its unique aspects of architectural approach towards Nature Architecture.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

1.0 Introduction Nature architecture has always been one the main styles in the architectural world today. Materials, motifs, and basic ordering principles repeats themselves continuously throughout the buildings nowadays as a whole, such as the Fallingwater, Sekeping Serendah Warehouse and Echigo Matsunoyama. The idea of nature architecture refers to the buildings’ literal relationship towards the natural surroundings, and also how the buildings’ design is thought carefully. From windows, to the floors, and to the individual natural furnishings that fills up the space. Everything relates to one another, reflecting the beauty of nature and the ordering systems of nature.

“Using Nature as our basis for design, a building design must grow, as Nature grows, from the inside out.” - Eric Corey Freed, 2007.

Architects nowadays design there buildings as a shell, forcing their way inside (just like function follows form) which, is not encouraged, because nature itself grows from the idea of a seed and brunches out to its surroundings. Therefore, a building should always be a skin that mirrors the beauty and complexity of Nature.

This paper will investigate about the elements of Nature Architecture between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Belum Resort, Perak, by responding to the following research questions: 1. What are the elements of Nature Architecture?

2. How can architecture blend in with nature?

3. How can the materials used give life to the building and relate it back to nature?

4. What is the difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2? Are they still considered as Nature Architecture due to its choice of materials?

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

2.0 The Elements of Nature Architecture

Nature Architecture also known as Organic Architecture is an alternative architectural design approach. More than merely green, Nature Architecture describes a way of thinking about design that transcends the common, everyday buildings around us. It is not a "style" but rather an approach to solving design problems. In Architecture, a "style" is a set of repeating elements. Nature Architecture invents a new solution based on the special conditions of each project.

Nature Architecture follows the design process of Nature - by adapting to each site, climate, and set of materials.

Using Nature as our basis for design, a building or design must grow, as Nature grows, from the inside out. Most architects design their buildings as form following function.

Nature grows from the idea of a seed and reaches out to its surroundings. Then, only can the building reflect the beauty of nature.

Nature Architecture uses Nature as the basis as their design by understanding the systems of Nature. To achieve nature architecture, the design must be suitable and for its environment in accord with the relationships of each piece to the whole, and the whole to the surroundings.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

3.0 How Architecture blends in with nature When it comes to modern architecture, we tend to think about glass infrastructure or skyscrapers that prominently stands out against the skylines of different cities. But architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Stephan Unger, Angelo Bucci has already think out of the box and introduce modern and contemporary architectural designs that blends in and becomes one with nature and boasts a style of its own - Nature Architecture.

To allow architecture to blend in with nature, the design should incorporate : •

Designing based on nature

•

Use Natural building materials

•

And, architectural plans that integrate with nature

Phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort has indeed achieve it by incorporating all 3 of those strategies. The architect of the resort did not integrate the building into the landscape but cantilever the design above ground, leaving the natural landscape unharmed. Therefore, the overall placement and spatial layout of the building was shaped by the natural landscape of the site. Not only did the architect use the site to achieve Nature Architecture and to just blend in with nature by placing it around the trees, the design was also altered to view the lake and mountains opposite the chosen site, giving the users specific or “framed” views. Just like Echigo Matsunoyama. It is a Museum of Natural Science located in the mountains of Matsunoyama, Japan. Similar to Belum Rainforest Resort and Fallingwater, it is shaped according to the landscape that reflects the walking trails around the area. The site is famous for the beautiful woods of buna, a type of Japanese tree, whose singularly shaped base follows the ground before straightening up. Because of this tree, the museum was greatly influenced by it, thus, giving it a snake-like shape. Furthermore, to enhance the feeling of being close to nature, phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort allowed nature to “enter” the building by using trees and plants as buffers to create walkways and path ways to direct the users to its destinations and also skylights to let the natural sunlight in the building, thus, minimizing the use of artificial lighting and using nature to its advantage. Similar to the Fallingwater by Frank Llyod Wright, the design allows a boulder from the site actually merges to the interior floor of the house and forms the living room fireplace. And with this design, Fallingwater blends rock, fire and water ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it. together. Phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest also included water features into the design, softening the hardscape of the building design and mimicking the sound of the river, creating a sound of relaxation to the users/visitors.

Figure 1.1 Designing based on Nature

Figure 1.2 ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Using Natural building materials

Figure 2.1 This picture shows how Belum Rainforest Resort blends in with Nature.

Figure 2.2 The Fallingwater. Blending in with Nature. (Source : Wright-house.com, N.D.)

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Using nature to its advantage helps the building blend in with nature, just like the Fallingwater by Frank Llyod Wright. The Fallingwater is both integrated into the landscape and designed to amplify the shapes of the landscape where it is nestled.

Rather than building and harming the landscape, the Fallingwater is suspended over a small waterfall, that pours down to the building’s projecting terraces, therefore, creating an illusion of the building growing out of the landscape. And so, both phase 1 and phase 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort and the Fallingwater have left most of the landscape untouched, allowing nature to penetrate the design and creating harmony between human and nature.

Last but not least, the use of natural building materials. As you can see in Figure 2.3, Phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort uses plenty of natural materials such as bamboos, timber, stones and their own material - mixed yellow soil and concrete which can be found at the site, giving it a very local feel. Just like the Fallingwater, natural materials were used to build the house. Stones used in both outside and inside of the house were local. By using materials that are native to the area, buildings such as Belum Rainforest Resort and Fallingwater would then be unique and different from other building designs. It makes the design more local and it is only specifically for that site and not anywhere else.

Figure 2.3 Using natural materials to create a different atmosphere. Making it more local.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

4.0 How can materials give life to the building and relate it back to Nature?

The choice of specific materials for a project will determine the aesthetic appeal of the building and how much life it gives to it. The materials used to achieve Nature Architecture depends on the material’s performance, availability and impact towards the environment.

Materials must be sustainable to use - this means that the materials use will not compromise the future use by running out or endangering the environment at any time.

To allow the building to blend with nature, materials considered should be : •

Materials from renewable or replaceable sources

•

Recycled Materials

•

Materials with plenty supply

Materials such as wood, bamboo, earth and mud can be sourced locally and they have very little embodied energy. For example, wood and bamboo are renewable, therefore, they are very green materials to be used. Local materials such as rocks, sand and soil are sufficient in abundance.

These materials are widely used in Phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort, it can be found almost everywhere. The materials can be differentiate by the colour of it.

Some materials are very bright in colour whereas some are dead and dry. Phase 1 is very bright and colourful whereas Phase 2 is very raw and strong (as seen in Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.2). Material colours of Phase 1 allows the building to fit in on the site, keeping them low-profiled and the material colours of Phase 2 stand out from nature, creating a contrast between the greenery of nature and the raw materials found on site.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Figure 3.1 This is exterior of the dining area of Phase 1. Majority of the materials used is wood. Giving the area a warm and comfortable environment.

Figure 3.2 This shows the raw materials that is mainly used throughout phase 2.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Phase 1 introduces growth and also life to the building as the trees grow around and into the building whereas Phase 2 amplifies the texture of the material during sunny days and rainy days, capturing the texture and colour of the material.

Figure 3.3 This picture shows how the surrounding trees grow around and on Phase 1 of the resort.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Figure3.4 In thic picture, it shows the raw material used in Phase 2 of the resort and how it allows nature to give life to it. The reason concrete is used is because the architect wanted to capture the rain water and it is slowly dried off.

Just like Echigo Matsunoyama, a Museum of Natural Science. Because of the location of the museum (which is located in the mountains of Matsunoyama, Japan), the outer shell of the building is entirely made of numerous 6-millimeter-thick welded for-ten steel plates. The reason of this choice of material is because of the weather in Japan. The different temperature between summer and winter causes the museum to expand and contract up to almost 20 centimetres in length, thus, allowing the building to grow depending on the temperature.

Figure 3.5 shows Echigo Matsunoyama being covered by snow. (Source : ymag.it, N.D.) ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Nature architecture means adapting to each site and climate. Therefore, during winter time in Japan, the visitors enter a unique tunnel world, whereby the visitors are shielded from the snow. And because of its strong material, the museum can withstand a total load of 2000 tons of snow, just like a submarine being buried under the thick snow. Using the natural material to its advantage, Phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort uses the wooden and concrete walkways/path ways to absorb water and provide grip for the users/visitors to walk.

Figure 3.6 The interior of Echigo Matsunoyama showing the cross-section of the heavy snow. (Source : Atlas Obscura, N.D.)

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Figure 3.7 This picture shows the after rain period whereby the wooden staris absorbs water, making the process of evaporation faster.

5.0 The differences between Phase 1 and 2 Are they still considered Nature Architecture?

The difference between Phase 1 and 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort is drastically obvious. Phase 1 blends in with nature by using local materials such as timber, bamboo and stones whereas Phase 2 stands out from nature, creating a contrast between the greenery of nature and the natural raw material of the resort. The materials used in phase 2 is mainly concrete and glass.

Phase 1 uses materials such as timber, bamboos and stones, allowing the users to appreciate the beauty of natural materials used in the design, thus, creating a sense of peace, appreciation and harmony with the surrounding, which is the philosophy of Nature architecture (to promote harmony between human and nature).

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Figure 4.7 Showcasing the philosophy of nature architecture – to promote harmony between human and nature.

Phase 2 introduces dominance, making a statement on its own by using only concrete and glass as its main materials. Despite phase 2 being dominant, the furnishings used are mainly wood that is being recycled from the site such as the tables and chairs. Soft scape and mini gardens were slipped into the empty pockets of spaces between each other, allowing nature to grow from each space in the design. And through my findings, to achieve Nature Architecture, buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified composite, giving it an alternate architectural design approach. (As shown in Figure 4.8 and 4.9)

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Figure 4.8 This picture shows how little pockets of spaces were filled with plants, allowing plants to grow in the building rather than completely ignoring the beauty of nature.

Figure 4.9 In this picture, the stools and tables used for Phase 2 were actually made from recycled wood because furnishings also becomes part of a unified composition.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Phase 1 is similar to Sekeping Serendah Warehouse, whereby the design is built around and for the site. Both the designs are spacious and allows nature to penetrate the building in any way or form. Using natural and raw materials, both design shows the life of natural materials as they age, creating a whole new different texture and colour.

Figure 4.10 This shows that Sekeping Serendah Warehouse is build not to harm nature.

Figure 4.11 In this picture, it is obvious that Phase 1 is very similar to Sekeping Serendah whereby it does not harm nature.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

Although Phase 2 introduces dominance, it can be similar to the Fallingwater, whereby the materials used are being locally sourced. Even though the Fallingwater allows nature to penetrate into the house, Phase 2 of Belum Rainforest Resort allows nature to grow on it. The 2 can be considered the same because both the designs have specific views, allowing the users to focus on interesting views rather than looking everywhere.

Many would only consider Phase 1 to be Nature Architecture. But as proven in the studies as to what is Nature Architecture, Phase 2 is arguably considered as Nature Architecture as well because both of the phases uses Nature as its basis for design (which is one of the main elements in Nature Architecture). Both the designs are design with careful placement on site, capturing the best views of the site (which is the lake), and it does not damage the landscape but designed to build around/on it.

6.0 Conclusion Both phases are unique in its own way. Phase 1 brings outside in and allows the users/visitors to appreciate the beauty and natural materials, creating a sense of peace and harmony with the surroundings, whereas Phase 2 of the Belum Rainforest Resort stands out and create a contrast between nature and the raw building but the design strategies used for Phase 2 allows the users/visitors to appreciate nature through specific views an open spaces.

Hence, it has come to a conclusion that both Phase 1 and Phase 2 has the same idea of Nature Architecture. Allowing users to appreciate nature with a choice of living within or experiencing from a different point of view, despite the difference design approached.

While one blends with nature, and the other stands out from it, it is a personal fascinating scenario that one should experience because of its unique aspects of architectural approach towards Nature Architecture.

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The Elements of Nature Architecture and how Phase 1 and Phase 2 applies to it.

7.0 References Frank Lloyd Wright (1954). The Natural House (New York: Bramhall House), p. 3

•

designing based on nature, natural building materials, architectural plans that integrate buildings with nature.

•

The falling water is both integrated into the landscape and designed to echo the shapes of the landscape where it is nestled.

Pearson, David (2001). The Breaking Wave: New Organic Architecture (Stroud: Gaia), p. 72 •

The natural materials can be sourced locally and have very little embodied energy. Materials such as wood and bamboo are renewable and are considered as very green materials.

Freed, Eric Corey (2007). WHAT IS ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE? •

Using Nature as our basis for design, a building design must grow, as Nature grows, from the inside out.

Feuerstein, Günther (2002). Biomorphic Architecture: Human and Animal Forms in Architecture (Stuttgart; London: Axel Menges) •

A philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human and nature through the site.

Portoghesi, Paolo (2000). Nature and Architecture, trans. by Erika G. Young (London; Milan: Skira Editore; Thames & Hudson) •

Materials used must be sustainably – this means the present use will not compromise future use by harming the environment at any time.

Portoghesi, Paolo (2000). Nature and Architecture, trans. by Erika G. Young (London; Milan: Skira Editore; Thames & Hudson) Tsui, Eugene (1999). Evolutionary Architecture: Nature as a Basis for Design (New York: John Wiley)

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