My latest initiative, NatureStructure, launched in May 2018 in Boston. The exhibition featured dozens of architectural, design and infrastructure projects that represent a new model for the relationship design and the built environment can have with nature.
The history of the built environment could be broadly defined as a battle against nature: barricading cities and coasts with sea walls, expanding over wetlands and green terrain, dividing migration routes with motorways. Tremendous effort has gone into the long war against the natural world.
Yet as sea levels rise and the severity of floods, droughts, and a changing climate increase — while species and habitats decrease — efforts to conquer nature have proven to be futile at best and destructive acts of ego at worst.
NatureStructure represents an end to the battle against nature. Instead of combating the natural world, NatureStructure embraces nature and natural processes as integral parts of the built environment and advocates designing and developing in collaboration with natural systems. Norwegians have a phrase for it: “To play on the same team as nature.” The Dutch call it “Building with nature.”
Curated by Urban Strategist Scott Burnham, NatureStructure provides a framework for a new generation of nature-centric design and development; work created to support and employ nature in addressing the problems human development has created for itself.
“Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous.” – Leonardo da Vinci
2019 Update: While NatureStructure has closed at the BSA, research and development continues. If you would like to learn more or host the next NatureStructure exhibition, get in touch here.
Header Image: POP-UP by Third Nature (Denmark)