As a society our relationship between nature and culture is deeply entangled. The many types of interactions between humans and the environment shape our perceptions and alter our outlook towards nature. Culture, language and symbols are all constructs that influence our perception of what we perceive as “natural”. These constructs are shaped by our cultural practices and mediate the way we perceive nature. This is easily highlighted through a few interesting examples from this week’s workshop.

Trade: Gravel

Gravel comes from a natural resource and is manmade in quarries by crushing the stones into gravel. This production of gravel is then distributed into our society.  Nature provides us with the “natural” resource while our culture dictates how the raw material will be utilized due to our cultural specifications. The movement or “trade” of these goods alters our natural landscapes, impacting our natural environment, this illustrates how “trade” as a cultural activity is entangled and shaped by nature.

Home: Security

Home is a place that allows us to feel safe and secure. A home is a physical space and a cultural construct. A home in the physical sense is built in conjunction with natural landscapes and climates, constructed with raw materials provided by “nature”. While “culture” educates us on how the home is designed and the traditions in which a home is shaped. Culture educates us on what makes a home feel “secure”. Nature and culture intersect to create a home that joins us to the environment and society.

Water: Growth

Water unites all living creatures, the world is made up of water, we as humans are mostly made of water. Nature cannot grow without water, nature feeds us, water is vital for our survival and growth as humans. In this sense we are not separate from nature, but the way we interact with water is shaped by culture. Many rituals such as baptisms involve water, symbolic of life, growth and renewal. This is our cultural way of connecting to the natural world. Water flows through both nature and culture to create growth.

Our cultural practices shape the way we design, they determine the way in which we consume raw materials. Our perceptions of these raw materials are mediated through our culture. For example, we often associate natural materials as being sustainable because they come from nature. But is this just our cultural perception of nature being a renewable source? Better education around the impacts of design of the environment is the only way to create a design culture that benefits nature.

Links:

https://brisks.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-gravel-made-of#:~:text=What%20is%20Gravel%20Formed%20From,into%20a%20more%20suitable%20size.

Oct 7, 2024

This week was focused on the reading by Fallen and Jørgensen, the article explores the need to interconnect the concerns about the environment with designers. Environmental history often doesn’t reflect the impact from human-made design, connecting the two fields could create a beneficial understanding of the problems within our natural environment that are fuelled from design choices. What ways does design connect us to nature, are these connections transparent? How is it even possible to define the true starting point of the Anthropocene when the effects on the environment span over a geological epoch.

Rollin’s reflection on the SUV makes an interesting point about the paradox between the SUV having a negative impact on the environment but being “marketed with nature imagery”. (Fallan.K, 2018) This imagery and marketing constructs a false cultural message for the consumer mediating the perception of the SUV’s effects on our natural environment.  An example of this which relates to the field or Design is the large-scale residential development’s popping up around the world with imagery of plants and nature. These developments promote an ideology that connects the consumer with nature but often these developments destroy many acres of forestation and natural ecosystems during the construction process. In our more modern society this form of marketing/architecture is a form of “greenwashing” selling a false ideology. Having more knowledge on environmental histories would arm the design and architecture field with better solutions and a more transparent approach that doesn’t create a false dichotomy. (Ghisleni.C, 2022)

(Residential Development Promoting Nature, Ghisleni.C, 2022)

 

Having a proper understanding of how design can impact the environment is an extremely useful tool for future designers. More education about the effects of design history on the environment enables us as designers to think and act with a transparent, well-educated approach that leaves minimal impact on the natural world. Historically design as a discipline has negatively influenced the environment. Material choices that follow “trends/fashions” often do not account for the use of natural resources and the pollution caused by manufacturing processes creating an unsustainable approach to design.

This can be exemplified through the material of Oak-Wood which is seen to be natural. Although the rate in which we use this material means that the natural product (oak tree) does not have time to regenerate at the rate it is being consumed making certain types of the material unsustainable to the natural environment.

(Lifecycle of an Oak Tree to Fully Mature)

 

By educating ourselves on material choices and construction methods used in historic designs we as designers would have better perspective on how these choices and approaches to design impact the environment. Understanding the sustainable/unsustainable impact of historic design choices provides us as designers with the valuable knowledge needed to design responsibly in the future. This allows the designer to participate in a positive impact on the man-made world.

Bibliography

Fallan.K, J. &., 2018. Environmental Histories of Design: Towards a New Research Agenda. Journal of Design History, 30(2), pp. 104-121.

Ghisleni.C, 2022. Archdaily. [Online]
Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/978874/50-shades-of-green-the-contradictions-of-greenwashing-in-architecture#:~:text=A%20classic%20example%20is%20the,use%20native%20plants%20in%20landscaping.

Oak Tree Life Cycle

Oct 1, 2024

Welcome to my blog, my name is Josie and I am currently in my 3^rd year of Interior Design at ECA. The Environmental Design Course is a subject that really appeals and interests me due to the current state of the world today and the depletion of our natural resources. There is such a high demand on our natural resources and often not enough time for those resources to fully regenerate at the pace in which we as a society are consuming those resources. This over consumption is aiding the increased changes in our climate, and contributing to global warming. As a designer I think it is extremely important to educate myself on Environmental Design and learn how my choices and decisions as a designer have an impact on the natural environment. I believe the only way to design in a sustainable and ecological manor is to be well educated on the materials and construction methods we choose and the footprint they leave on the planet.

(Nanyang Technological University, Heatherwick.T 2015)

A piece of design that I consider a great piece of environmental design is Thomas Heatherwick’s Nanyang Technological University situated in Singapore and built in 2011. Singapore maintains temperatures between 25-35 degrees year round. This building was designed to create a natural air flow that increases air movement between classrooms, creating cooling without air conditioning fans.

(Floorplans-Nanyang University, Heatherwick.T 2015)

Air conditioning units have a large impact on global warming, often these cooling units use “hydro fluorocarbon refrigerants”. These refrigerants create strong greenhouse gases, as well as using large amounts of energy. These factors create a massive burden on our climate, continually adding to the increasing changes in our environment. Heatherwick’s design allows air to flow between the floors of the building which creates a natural draft. These drafts lead to the open plan core of the building which is also decorated with plants to aid cooling. This central hub becomes a shaded naturally ventilate space for students to gather, while also minimising the buildings effects on climate change.

(Central Hub Of University, Heatherwick.T 2015)

Heatherwick.T & Rowe.M, 2015

“Thomas Heatherwick Making” p51-p54

Thames & Hudson Ltd, United Kingdom

UN Environmental Program,  2023

“Air Conditioners Fuel The Climate Crisis, Can Nature Help?”

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/air-conditioners-fuel-climate-crisis-can-nature-help#:~:text=How%20does%20cooling%20contribute%20to,double%20burden%20for%20climate%20change.

Accessed On 21^st September 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep 19, 2024