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Nature can be seen emerging in architecture right from the beginning in ancient Egypt. Natural elements inspired forms, seen in tombs carved into mountains, and use of local materials; mud brick made of the clay from the river Nile. These are examples of the ancient concept of vernacular architecture. Ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations developed their thoughts on natural forms and human bodies and interpreted them into geometry. They proportioned their structures, such as temples and shrines, using basic shapes. This influence of nature can be seen drifting through architectural history, however, some modernist architects delved deeper into the true relationship between architecture and the earth’s natural elements. Initially, Louis Sullivan recognized a building should respond to its particular surroundings, just as a plant would grow and thrive naturally in its surroundings. This idea was developed through his exploration of organic ornamentation, eventually wounding up to the idea that ‘form ever follows function’. Also seen in the expressionist style, nature is represented particularly in geological forms. Similar to tomb carving, in 1917 Bruno Taut envisioned Alpine Architektur, crystal-like buildings emerging among the peaks of a utopian landscape. Another concept within this style is dynamism, something Mendelsohn played with, fusing organic form with modern materials.
However, it was Frank Lloyd Wright, a keen observer of the natural world, who really immersed himself in the idea he dubbed ‘organic architecture’. After working for Sullivan, Wright tried to develop his ideas further. He rejected Sullivan’s well-received idea of ‘form follows function’ and insisted that form and function should be one, representing the unity of nature. On the surface, Wright suggests influence from nature should not be imitated; instead, it should be followed as a guide for materials, textures, and colors. Often, Wright integrated various organic analogies into his work. One of particular interest was his metaphorical usage of a tree, which suggests a building should provide a capacity for growth and change while sustaining order and rootedness. This thought is well represented in his earlier work on Winslow House. Moreover, it could be considered this metaphor is not only a correlative representation of the structure and hierarchy of buildings, but potentially a symbol of human freedoms rooted in moral principles.
Overall, organic architecture represents the unification between nature and architecture. This not only concerns the literal relationship between the building and nature but also how the forms of nature are integrated within the design. The idea seeks to consolidate human habitats with nature and reflects this in every element of a building. Moreover, every component must relate to reflect nature’s symbiotic ordering.
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