Borrow from Nature

Yujie Weng.
Tutors: Janae Van Panahon

The harmonious connection between humanity and nature remains a continuous pursuit in architecture. By locating our residential space underground, we move away from living in concrete forests and create a shared community where humans, animals, and plants can interact. Imagine a world where we inhabit underground spaces, and the surface still maintains the original form of nature.

This project is situated in Albert Park, which was formed from sandstone due to volcanic activity in the past. The design concept is “Respect the local site,” and as such, the form is “borrowed” from the volcano crater. Doing so returns the ground space to Albert Park as a public area, preserving the site’s natural beauty. Residents of this underground community would experience the daylight and warmth through skylights formed by the “volcano crater.” In response to the local environment, the interior materials are mainly timber, basalts, marble, granite, dark carpet, and glass.

The local environment context is a “gift” from nature; by embracing the local environment as a design element, we can create architecture that harmonizes with the surroundings rather than dominating or depleting it. I hope this approach raises awareness of preserving nature’s beauty, biodiversity, and ecological balance.