Nature Based Architecture
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A Tentative Argument for the Inclusion of Nature-Based Forms in Architecture Yannick Joye Proefschrift neergelegd tot het behalen van de graad van Doctor in de Wijsbegeerte Universiteit Gent Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte Maart, 2007 Promotor: Prof. Dr. Philip Van Loocke Leescommissie: Prof. Dr. Agnes Van Den Berg Prof. Dr. Malaika Brengman Prof. Dr. Nikos Salingaros Dr. Leen Meganck © Yannick Joye Niets uit deze uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd en/of openbaar gemaakt door middel van druk, fotokopie, microfilm of op welke andere wijze ook zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de auteur. Noot: de auteur heeft niet alle copyrighthouders van de illustraties kunnen achterhalen. Belanghebbende partijen worden verzocht contact op te nemen met de auteur. Table of Contents Table of Contents I Abstract (in Dutch) V Acknowledgments VII Introduction 1 Abstract 4 Chapter 1 An inborn affective affiliation with natural forms and landscape configurations 6 1. Introduction 6 2. What features make a place into a good habitat? 7 2.1. Appleton’s prospect-refuge theory 7 2.2. The informational model of the Kaplans 10 2.3. Roger Ulrich’s psychoevolutionary framework 14 2.4. Emotional affiliation with natural contents 16 2.4.1. The savanna hypothesis 16 2.4.1.1. The savanna hypothesis and aesthetic interventions 17 2.4.1.2. Tree shapes typical of savannas 20 2.4.1.3. Biome preferences of children 21 2.4.1.4. Criticisms of the savanna hypothesis 22 2.4.2. Water features, vegetation and flowers 23 2.4.3. Unthreatening animals 26 2.5. Critical evaluation: rapid affective processing of natural stimuli 27 3. The physiological, psychological and behavioural value of natural elements 29 3.1. Restoration as stress reduction 29 3.1.1. Empirical research into restoration as stress reduction 30 3.1.2. Further research into the relation between stress and nature 32 3.2. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) 34 3.2.1. Empirical research into Attention Restoration Theory 36 3.2.2. Further empirical research into the restorative power of natural settings 37 3.2.3. Critical notes 40 4. Brain correlates of the emotional affiliation with natural contents 41 4.1. Sensory Functional Theory 43 4.2. Correlation theories 45 4.3. Domain Specific Account 47 4.3.1. Neural correlates of the Domain Specific Account 50 4.3.1.1. Category-specific specialization at early levels of processing 50 4.3.1.2. The Domain Specific Account and emotion 53 4.3.2. Etnobiological evidence consistent with the Domain Specific Account 54 5. Biophilia as a unifying framework? 57 5.1. Characterization of biophilia and favourable arguments 57 5.1.1. Environmental psychology 62 5.1.2. Native biophilia 63 5.1.3. Cognitive biophilia 65 5.2. Devolution of biophilia 66 5.2.1. Empirical research into devolution 68 5.3. Critical notes on the biophilia hypothesis 69 6. Discussion 70 I Chapter 2 Inducing biophilic responses with nature-based architecture 74 1. Introduction 74 2. The value of nature-based design interventions 75 2.1. Creative effects of contact with natural form 75 2.2. Epistemological effects 76 2.3. Emotional effects 78 3. Integrating structural landscape features in architecture 81 3.1. Savanna 82 3.2. Prospect, refuge and hazard 84 3.3. Order and complexity 87 3.4. Mystery and legibility 91 4. Architectural implementations of natural contents 92 4.1. Integrating natural contents in the architectural context 92 4.2. Literally imitating natural contents 95 4.3. Schematic imitations of natural contents 98 4.3.1. Architectural implementations of vegetative elements 99 4.3.1.1. Trees as structural supports 101 4.3.1.2. Poetical engineering: Santiago Calatrava 104 4.3.2. Symbolic animal architecture 106 4.4. Architectural integration of low level features of natural contents 108 4.4.1. Preference and curvature 110 4.4.2. Curvature and naturalness 112 4.4.3. Biophobic features 115 4.4.4. Curves in architecture 117 4.4.4.1. Hundertwasser: biophilic intuitions 117 4.4.4.2. Curved architecture as expression 119 4.4.4.3. Blob architecture 121 5. Biophilic architecture and contextual embedding 132 6. Discussion 134 Chapter 3 Introducing naturalness by implementing fractal geometry in architectural design 137 1. Introduction 137 2. What is a fractal? 137 3. Fractals: the geometry of nature 142 4. Fractal aesthetics 144 4.1. Fractal dimension and aesthetic preference 145 4.2. Further support for the special status of an intermediate fractal dimension 147 4.3. Restorative responses associated with an intermediate fractal dimension 148 5. Evolutionary explanation of fractal aesthetics 150 6. Alternative explanations 151 6.1. Fractals and the peak shift effect 151 6.2. 1/f or ‘pink’ noise 152 6.2.1. Pink noise and aesthetics 155 6.2.2. Healing properties of 1/f noise 157 6.3. Critical notes 158 7. Appropriations of fractal geometry in architecture 159 7.1. Fractal architecture is ‘necessary’ because it expresses the current worldview 160 7.2. The sensory value of fractal architecture 161 8. Possible implementations of fractal geometry in architecture 163 8.1. Mathematical analyses of architecture – box-counting dimension 164 8.2. Fractal ground plans 166 8.2.1. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Palmer House 167 8.2.2. Ushida-Findlay 169 II 8.3. Fractal tiling 171 8.4. Three-dimensional fractal architecture 173 8.5. Fractal principles as a creative instrument 179 8.5.1. Fractal rhythms 180 8.5.2. Scaling factors 182 8.6. Symbolic fractal architecture and its rhetoric component 183 9. Is the issue of fractal architecture tenable? 187 10. Discussion 190 Conclusions 193 Bibliography 200 Sources of illustrations 215 Publications 223 III IV Abstract (in Dutch) Als gevolg van evolutie in een natuurlijke omgeving heeft de mens een esthetische voorkeur ontwikkeld voor bepaalde typische landschapsconfiguraties, en natuurlijke elementen. Onderzoek wijst uit dat deze eigenschappen ook een positieve invloed hebben op verschillende aspecten van het menselijke functioneren, en bijdragen tot stressreductie en een herstel van de gerichte aandacht. Men kan echter vaststellen dat er in moderne stedelijke omgevingen vaak steeds minder mogelijkheden zijn tot contact met natuurlijke elementen en landschapsconfiguraties. In deze doctoraatsthesis wordt beargumenteerd dat zo’n evolutie een subtiele negatieve impact kan hebben op ons psychologisch en fysiologisch welzijn. De centrale hypothese is dat dergelijke effecten kunnen worden tegengegaan door de architecturale imitatie, in de bebouwde omgeving, van vormeigenschappen die kenmerkend zijn voor natuurlijke entiteiten. Verschillende praktische voorstellen worden uitgewerkt, gaande van de letterlijke imitatie van natuur in architectuur, tot de implementatie van fractale geometrie in een bebouwde context. V VI Acknowledgments Right now I am at the verge of closing a project that has dominated my life during almost five years. It is a little miracle that I have finished this doctorate. I must admit that I had almost abandoned this project last year. While I was quite content at the time, I took a job as an editor of a DIY magazine, but quickly realized that the grass was indeed much greener on the other side. Not in the least I missed the intellectual freedom and the creative thinking process. I am still very grateful to Sarah that she offered me the opportunity to quit this job, in spite of the fact that this would lead to my unemployment, and that it would put some financial pressure on is, with the care of our two newborn babies. Still, my family and dears convinced me that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am still thankful to all who motivated me to finalize this project. Some years ago Philip Van Loocke offered me the chance to embark on this doctoral project. Still today I am very thankful for this opportunity, and for his trust in my intellectual and working capacities. In our research group I would especially like to thank Valérie, for the support with writing up my postdoctoral proposal and for her listening eye (for my complaints about doctoral life). I also thank the current and former colleagues from room 2.10 (Helena, Filip, Elizabeth, Joris, Lien, Dani) with which I’ve spent silent moments studying, but also enjoyable and intellectual talks. A special thanks for Nico Tobbackx for his genuine interest in my project, and for being so kind to freely provide me Microstation software. I would like to thank my mum and dad, for giving me the love, opportunities and freedom to experience a childhood and youth without sorrow, and for allowing me the freedom for messing it up at some times (and getting my act together). This has helped me to keep my emotional balance during some of the harder parts of this doctorate. Belleke, you were part of my young life too and you have also made me into who I am. Jo, thanks for the relaxing and enjoyable bike tours and for your friendship. Frank, Danielle, Bart and Barbara, thanks for just being there, and for letting me be part of a new family, and for the serene, but well-felt support and love throughout the years. I would like to dedicate this work to three persons. Seth and Névine, I hope that it will inspire you to always adopt a free spirit, and to pursue your passions, even if you don’t know where it will take you. The only certainty is that these choices will give you joy and happiness. Sarah, you are the one that perhaps deserves a dedication the most. After some difficult months, it is very humbling to see how you have regained in such a short time the energy of coping with your stressful job, and still being such a wonderfully loving mother and wife.