On average, Americans spend about 90 percent of their lives indoors, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To University of Oregon architecture professor Kevin Nute, this statistic poses a significant problem.
He asserts that while shelter is an essential tool of survival, the construction of buildings that shun Mother Nature is damaging to our connection with the processes of the Earth.
In response to this disconnect, Nute has published a new video-animated e-book that educates viewers on how manmade buildings can incorporate the Earth’s natural elements into building design while still providing adequate protection from the elements.
The e-book, titled, “Vital: Using Weather to Bring Buildings and Sustainability to Life,” shows readers how the natural movements of the sun, wind and rain can be fused into buildings to enhance the holistic well-being of its occupants, reducing stress and heightening alertness.
“I had the realization that we spend such a huge amount of time indoors and those indoor environments are lacking in two concepts: we require contact with nature and change,” Nute said. “Those two critical components are things we depend on both physiologically and psychologically.”
The electronic installation of “Vital,” titled “Outside In,” can be seen at the UO’s White Stag Building in downtown Portland from now until the end of the year.
Realizing that a global audience might not grasp the concept in English, or even in writing, Nute’s e-book aims to reach all viewers; even if someone can’t understand the words on the page, they can understand the concept through the different types of media presented.
“I needed to illustrate and address the concept of change. A conventional paper book was not going to do that,” he said. “It was really important to me to be able to have the videos and show change as opposed to just a static photograph.”
For those not versed in architecture lingo, have no fear: Nute’s e-book is tailored to everyone. Online reviews by both architects and others have been exceptional.
One reviewer suggested that the book “provides a lens to view the design of the built environment that can have powerful effects on people’s quality of life. The ideas resonate with cultural desires to reconnect with the natural world. They are a comforting reminder to pay attention to the important things in life.” Another review states, “As an architect I’d never have thought of using the elements indoors in this way.”
For Nute, the goal for his e-book was never to garner a five-star rating in the iBookstore. He just wanted his message to transcend differences in lifestyle across the world.
“It really is a simple concept. If we influence not just designers but the public, we really have made an impact. The content of the book is universally applicable.”
After this academic year comes to an end, Nute will take a sabbatical and travel overseas to give lectures and presentations on his work, as well as conduct follow-up research to the concepts presented in his e-book.
—By Nathaniel Brown, Public Affairs Communications