A New Nature: Architecture as a Mitigator Between Society and Nature

Abstract

Urban society perceives that in order to be exposed to the wild nature a considerable distance must be travelled, yet there is a desire for this exposure: a call of the wild. With few formal outlets for society to be educated in how to interact with the wild of the backcountry there is a substantial potential for fatal consequences. This call of the wild is resulting in a paradox: an overexposure of one will destroy the other. According to a growing body of research, dwelling in urban centers is causing society to suffer from “Nature Defi cit Disorder”, and an exposure to nature is the remedy. This thesis aims to explore architecture as a potential mitigator between the impacts of society and the wild on each other. Through considering alternative paradigms of development with parameters restricting the impact upon the wild, a radical architectural response to the paradox is developed.