BIOTECTURE—A New Framework to Approach Buildings and Structures for Green Campus Design

Abstract

Despite the amount of scientific knowledge mankind has gathered, nature holds great mysteries which we may never be able to unravel, filling us with a sense of awe and amazement. Our survival is completely dependent on it. Over time, man has tried to control nature by enforcing order and by distancing himself from it. Attempts are now being made to regain a close connection with nature through 'natural architecture' which aims to create a new, more harmonious relationship between man and nature by exploring what it means to design with nature in mind. The natural architecture movement is a form of activism rather than a protest, postulating that mankind can live symbiotically with nature, using it for our needs while respecting its importance. The roots of this movement can be found in earlier artistic shifts such as the 'land art' movement of the late 1960s, expanding the formal link between art and nature and developing a new appreciation of nature in all forms of art and design. The movement is characterized by the work of a number of artists, designers and architects who express these principles in their work. The pieces are simple, humble and built using the most basic materials and skills, with results often resembling indigenous architecture, reflecting the desire to return to a less technological world. The forms are stripped down to their essence, expressing the natural beauty inherent in the materials and location. The movement has many forms of expression ranging from location-based interventions to structures built from living materials. This chapter overviews various methods employed in biotecture, also known as arbor-architecture or arbortecture, the form of architecture that uses live green media as the primary building component. It includes techniques developed from many disciplines, including arbor sculpture, botany and familiar gardening techniques such as grafting. All of these involve some method of controlling how a tree or a plant grows. These methods are illustrated through varied examples and advantages and disadvantages are analysed. Selections of tree species suited for biotecture in Indian conditions are identified through a structured interaction with experts. This chapter also reflects upon the potential applications of biotecture in campus design for a more sustainable and greener environment. An analysis of viability of utilising biotecture is carried out at the end in comparison with the conventional methods of construction in practice. From the sustainability point of view, no other form of construction could surpass biotecture. Hence the platform has been set for a more widespread use of this typology in architecture.