How to Leverage Natural Elements in Architectural Design

Architecture is an impact on nature, where the interaction between man and environment has brought about radical changes to the world as we know it. The built environment of today is vastly disconnected from nature as humans remain fixated on industry, growth and progress. Many architects strive to create designs in harmony with nature to leverage on the extraordinary use of natural elements to enhance spaces and to advocate the value of sustainability in architecture. By engaging directly with the natural environment and integrating nature-inspired elements into their designs, a new dynamic is achieved with unlimited potentialities. 

Integrating traditional “environmental obstacles” such as trees, plants, or rocks into the space does not necessarily mean the introduction of roadblocks, but instead, enhances the quality of life of users and elevates the overall aesthetic quality of the space. Some architects have chosen to allow nature and buildings to live in harmony by designing structures to be built around large trees, while others have surrounded their buildings with vegetated living walls. These eco-friendly designs in public spaces, as well as those found in the home architecture, benefit not only the thriving vegetation, but the buildings and its occupants as well. 

All top architecture firms in Singapore, such as TOPOS Architects, have comprehensive understanding of the use of natural lighting in architecture and design. Natural light is a dynamic and powerful tool for expressing the quality of a space. Besides the more traditional use of light in terms of quantitative illuminance goals and visual discomfort caused by glare, natural light could also be used to great architectural effect. Daylighting is defined as the use of natural light to support the visual demands of building occupants. For example, in some meticulously designed Singapore residential architecture, leveraging daylight as a primary source of daytime illumination, a self-sufficient thermostat that interacts with outdoor phenomena, and an energy-saving alternative connects humans more closely to nature and reveals local ecology in the urban fabric that is constantly alive. 

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