Nature

Nature is the mother of each and everything that is visible on the earth, thus each and everything which seems good before the eyes originates from the nature. Nature is therefore the mother of architecture, since it made man to discover architecture and its importance (Marc-Antoine, 1753). Man could not have thought of building up a shelter had it not been the ever changing seasons of the nature. Through nature, man discovered how disadvantaged he was, and realized the importance of building up a shelter to protect him from the scorching sun and the changing seasons.

Man could not therefore live without having a shelter and thus had to come up with a hut which was not very suitable for him, as it required frequent repairs from time to time. The type of architecture used in designing the house was copied from nature, thus the column must be similar to a natural thing, “the column must be round since nature makes nothing rectangular” (Marc-Antoine, 1753). This consequently means that, the house needs to have foundation which is similar to that of natural things such as trees in order to enable it to stand firm on the ground. The pillars need to support so that it may not be easily destroyed by nature. Through copying architectural designs from nature, man was able to come up with very strong and durable housing, since in order to be able to live according to the dictate of nature you must be able to abide by its rules. This therefore means that in order to build a house which can be able to withstand the nature, you need to understand the way nature behaves and thus being able to avoid any obstacles.

Reference

Marc-Antoine Laugier, “Chapter I: General Principles of Architecture,” An Essay on Architecture [1753], trans. Wolfgang and Anni Herrmann (Los Angeles: Hennessey + Ingalls, Inc., 1977), 11-38.

Anthony Vidler, “Rebuilding the Primitive Hut: The Return to Origins from Lafitau to Laugier,” The Writing on the Walls: Architectural Theory in the Late Enlightenment (Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press, 1987), 7-21.

-Robert Smithson, “Frederick Law Olmstead and the Dialectical Landscape,” Artforum 11 (February 1973), 117-128.