BIOPHILIA HYPOTHESIS

Year: Produced for: Project location:

2011 4B Design Studio project, University of Waterloo School of Architecture Cambridge, ON, CAN

 

“The paradox is that, while the material advantages and luxuries produced by modern technology encompass us and touch all aspects of our lives, we have had the uneasy feeling of being uprooted, of loosing contact with nature, of getting soft.”

 

“The garden became an idealization of nature in which could be discovered something of the heart of nature, of its very elemental spirit. It was designed so that the beholder could relate himself to nature.”

 

- David Harris Engel

 

This interfaith chapel project attempts to get visitors back in touch with their instinctual love of nature. Through educational and spiritual experiences, learning, reflecting, applying and sharing, the project provides a renewed understanding of nature and promotes a respect for the planet so that environmentally responsible choices can be made every day. Architecturally, the building is simple and humble, using basic natural materials and standard construction. The project is not about the building but about the garden within its walls. The building is merely a functional frame into which the garden extends. In the end, the Biophilia Chapel is about restoring harmony between ourselves and the natural environment.