NATURE INSIDE

A few years ago I started noticing a lot of interior design student projects integrating plants as both decorative elements, and with a notion that they might improve the quality of a space. I also saw a bunch of publications and instagram accounts dedicated to cultivating plants inside. And I noticed plants in the homes of my friends and neighbors, and natural elements in various forms, real and artificial, in home goods stores. So, I came up with this course as a way of: investigate this growing interest, learning some of the practical aspects of designing spaces that incorporate nature (like how much light, water, and maintenance plants need), and, also to put this phenomena into context, historically and conceptually to see if I could figure out why people are bringing nature inside.

Historically speaking, we first see enclosed gardens in Ancient Egypt, basically as a way to mitigate the climate, and the rise and fall of the Nile River. We see enclosed gardens in medieval cloisters, again, as a way to mitigate the unpredictability and danger of the environment. In fact, one of the main themes historically is that people bring nature inside as a way to hedge against uncertain environmental conditions. In more recent history, we see that in times of social upheaval, there is a boom in nature and naturalistic motifs in interiors, such as during the industrial revolution, and again during the Cold War. So perhaps we are seeing a similar thing playing out now, in the face of various societal strains (e.g. pandemic, artificial intelligence, climate change).

The documents linked here include a variety of precedent examples, as well as documentation of student work to cultivate plants inside.

Collaborators: Various Students

NATURE INSIDE

Nature Inside

INTERIORS THEORY PRIMER