Architecture and Living Beings: More than Just Inspiration
摘要
This chapter aims to confront architecture’s ecological impacts, potentialities, and responsibilities via five different approaches. First, biomimicry: should we imitate “nature” in architecture? Second, flora: why is vegetation so often the only non-human living being invited into architectural designs and discourse? Third, fauna: should we design architecture for, or even with, animals? Fourth, water: how might water cycles and watershed design renew architectural theories and practices? Fifth, energy: how could “human energy” influence current ecological approaches in architecture? All these topics challenge both the definition of “architecture” I intend to promote when using this term in the contemporary ecological debates and try to invite more-than-human agents to the architectural discussion table.