Experiential ground

Abstract

In humanity’s current condition, the advantages of organic material sources are supplanted by the qualities of synthetics that allow for rapid growth and altered capabilities, whilst man becomes further removed from his natural existence as a being that once possessed the aptitude to understand and work with these materials. Prior to our industrial, mechanised and materialist consumer culture, the direct interaction with the natural world provided humanity with more comprehensive and experiential ground for growth and learning. As we are connected to the world through our senses, space becomes the primary enabler of such a platform. Relying on the haptic qualities of materials and the body’s ability to experience and embody its immediate surroundings, architecture’s role in the integration between man, nature, and industry is explored. As a natural industry with a significant public interface, architecture acts as a mediator between man’s “constructed nature” and his “first nature” – referring to man’s estrangement from his environment. This dissertation investigates the adaptation of industrial buildings to accommodate public interaction whilst responding to the environmental impact that the production of building materials has on the environment. Alternatives to commonly used materials such as glass, steel and carbon fibres were researched, and so hemp, flax and bamboo became the primary elements used in the making of the architecture.