Nature as Material, Time as Tool

Author

Chuchu Chen, Rhode Island School of DesignFollow

Date of Award

Spring 6-3-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master in Interior Architecture [Adaptive Reuse]

Department

Interior Architecture

First Advisor

Jeffrey Katz

Second Advisor

Hope Leeson, Eduardo Benamor Duarte, Hernrich Hermann, Barbara Stehle, Nick Haus Heywood

Third Advisor

Ernesto Aparicio, Brett Schneider, Stephen Turner

Abstract

No building stands forever. Over time, the natural environment acts upon the outer surface of the building, leading to the failure of materials and the final dissolution of the structure itself, leading to ruin. In order to prevent this or retard its occurrence, we constantly maintain and renew the things we build. Nature seems to stand in opposition to architecture. The passage of time is constantly subtracting from the building. However, what differentiates nature from architecture? This thesis questions whether these two are not opposed, but on a continuous spectrum. Approaching the building as part of the overall environment that "grew from” the site, rather than as an object that is placed alone on the site. It is time to accept that the power of nature and time give buildings a new skin, in the form of patina. This transformation can be treated as positive. We can accept architecture as ever-changing, as an expression of the passage of time. How can a single place be building, ruin and nature? This thesis uses Pollepel Island as a test site, proposing various responses by designing multiple back-to-nature retreats. These retreats are partly man-made and partly rely on nature to become complete over time. They exist between architecture and nature, showcasing the merging of natural and built spaces and creating a symbiotic relationship between the two, ultimately revealing our connection with the natural world.

Recommended Citation

Chen, Chuchu, "Nature as Material, Time as Tool" (2023). Masters Theses. 1162.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1162

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.