Tag Archives: nature

Nature-centric design

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I came across this company, Oxman.com, and it defines Nature-centric design as:

Nature-centric design views every design construct as a whole system, intrinsically connected to its environment through heterogeneous and complex interrelations that may be mediated through design. It embodies a shift from consuming Nature as a geological resource to nurturing her as a biological one.
Bringing together top-down form generation with bottom-up biological growth, designers are empowered to dream up new, dynamic design possibilities, where products and structures can grow, heal, and adapt.

Here is a video, Nature x Humanity (OXMAN), that shows how this company is using glass, biopolymers, fibres, pigments, and robotics for large scale digital manufacturing, to rethink architecture to be more in tune with nature and less of an imposition on our natural world.

Nature x Humanity (OXMAN) from OXMAN on Vimeo.

This kind of thinking, design, and innovation excites me. It makes me think of Antoni Gaudi styled architecture except with the added bonus of using materials and designs that are less about just the aesthetic and more about the symbiotic and naturally infused use of materials that help us share our world with other living organisms, rather than our constructions imposing a cancer-like imposition on our world, scarring and damaging the very environment that sustains our life.

Imagine living in a building that allows more natural air flow, is cheaper to heat and cool, and has a positive emissions footprint, while also being a place that makes you feel like you are in a natural rather than concrete environment. Less corners, less uniformity, and ultimately less institutional homes, schools, and office buildings, which are more inviting, more naturally lit, and more comfortable to be in.

This truly is architectural design of the future, and it has already started… I can’t wait to see how these kinds of innovations shape the world we live in!

Geology, Astrology, and Prophecy

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There are some major geological disturbances and volcano eruptions in Italy, Japan, and at any moment potentially Iceland. We live on a volatile planet with harsh weather conditions, earthquakes, and occasionally tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Right now there is a lot of geologic activity. This happens in cycles, and it seems that we are on a very active cycle right now. That’s geology. That’s science.

What it’s not is ‘the end of times’, it’s not the end of the world as we know it as a human race, although it may feel like so to anyone living near one of these eruptions. And I don’t mean to downplay worst case scenarios. One of the volcanoes in Italy that is active is what’s known as a super volcano, like the one under Yellowstone National Park. A large eruption of a super volcano can devastate vast areas of land and upset the weather of the world for years.

It could get really ugly.

But this isn’t some biblical prophecy. It’s not an angry God upset with the failings of humanity, and it’s not the coming of the apocalypse.

It’s science. It’s Mother Earth doing what Mother Earth has done for millions of years. It’s cyclical, but on a geological scale that spans chunks of time that extend far longer than civilizations tend to survive.

Tying these geological events to ancient scripture is like tying your dating life to tarot cards, or waiting for the alignment of stars to make a career move… foolish. The earth isn’t angry, it’s seismically active. It isn’t punishing mankind, it is going through natural processes.

We build houses and cities on flood plains, and in tornado zones, and on the sides, and potential lava flows, of volcanoes. If harsh weather systems or major geological disturbances happen in these danger zones, it is disruptive to the lives of those living close by. If a super volcano erupts the whole world could be affected. Again, that’s science.

This could end up being a series of small eruptions, and it could be a massive global disruption… What it’s not is written in scriptures, holy texts, or the result of the alignment of stars. I’d hope that we have evolved past superstitious caveman and can recognize the difference.

Back inside

While visiting Barcelona I said, “It’s fascinating to see how the city is designed for pedestrians.” I loved that streets were converted to one-way so that there could be more sidewalks, and every nook and open space between buildings would be transformed into courtyards and places to sit and be outside.

Now, after returning home I realize that I’m always indoors. Yes, I enjoy walks with a friend and with my wife, and the trails we walk on are beautiful, and I’m surrounded by trees. Living here gives us amazing access to the natural beauty of the west coast rainforest.

But other than a few walks, the last 5 weeks at home have been almost entirely inside. My outdoor time is spent going from my house to my car, and from my car to work or whatever other destination I was heading to. Other than that, I’m in a building or in my car. I have made one walking trip to our neighbourhood donut shop, in the same way I’d walk to a pastry shop in Spain, and beyond that my travels have all been by car. Even my beautiful walks I go on are destinations I drive to.

I miss the liveability of Barcelona and Madrid. The buzz of people all around. The convenience of small neighbourhood stores, pastry shops, and restaurants. I am fully aware that I was on vacation and that’s different than being here at work full time, and if I had the same job in Spain, I’d spend most of my time indoors. But there is something about living in a city made for walking that I’m drawn to. I want to be able to park my car and leave it behind when I go to pick up groceries. I want to walk to restaurants. I want to walk 10,000+ steps in a day as part of my routine and not just on designated walks 1-2 times a week.

I know it’s more challenging because I live in the suburbs. Yet some of this I can do, if I allow myself the time. Our grocery store is walking distance, as long as I’m not buying too much to carry. I can walk to work if I allot myself 40 minutes each way, and if I don’t have out of school meetings. I could sacrifice the convenience of my car, and walk a bit more, but it will take an effort and time that I’m not sure I’d be willing to give up. It’s much harder to do this in a city designed around roads rather than sidewalks… but I will make more of an effort.

Nature’s Hug

I did my weekly morning walk with my buddy, also named Dave, this morning. We do the Coquitlam Crunch which is in uphill walk that includes 400+ steps and, for us, is a 25-26 minute walk up. We do a little turn-off on the trail just before the top. This takes us down a short hill then it goes up and over the top of the Crunch on a dirt path behind some houses and surrounded by trees.

I commented that I love this little detour we take and Dave suggested this was because it was like a hug. We go from a more open, paved path to a dirt path with tall trees all around us. “It’s like we are getting nature’s hug,” he suggested.

I like this idea. That’s exactly what it feels like. I’ve heard of phrases like nature or forest bathing, which is more of a full sensory experience of being out in nature, but this is different. It’s shorter and less about seeking an experience. Rather, it’s just stepping into a forest and momentarily feeling the path closing in, but in a gentle loving way… like a hug.

I’m going to be thinking about this every time we go on this walk now, and also as I enter the 5km walk I do with my wife in a nearby park that is filled with beautiful, tall trees. I’m not just getting a walk in, I’m also getting a hug from nature – nature’s hug.

Living on the edge

Today my buddy Dave and I kayaked from Barnet Marine Park to Deep Cove, with a stop for a drink on the rocks of Belcarra Park on the way home.

Zooming out, you can see how close I live (blue dot) to this wonderful escape.

Zoom out a bit more and you can see that the parkland north of me is nothing but vast rainforest all the beyond Whistler, a 1 hour-45 minute drive away.

We literally live on the edge of nature. If you look at the second map shared above, my wife works at an elementary school near the top of Westwood Plateau, and once or twice a year they need to do indoor recess or lunch because of bear sightings.

Today was my 4th day this summer kayaking around here and I realize that I want to own a kayak. To be able to have such a beautiful getaway so close to home is too good not to take full advantage of on a more regular basis. I also want to go on more hikes, and reap the benefits of living on the edge of wilderness. For me, the great outdoors are at my doorstep.

Feeling the earth spin

This morning I sat in my gazebo for my meditation. The sun was shining and I took my shirt off to enjoy the the heat and natural vitamin D. Where I sat, the sun rose to the point that the top of the gazebo ever so slowly shielded my face from direct sunlight. I felt my face cool. I saw the brightness diminish through my eyelids.

It occurred to me that I was experiencing the rotation of the earth. I wasn’t witnessing the rising of the sun… Instead, I was feeling the earth revolve. My positioning allowed me to have both a visual and tactile experience of our massive planet making it’s 24 hour spin on its axis. Even as I write this, my chin is no longer in the sun and the shadow of the gazebo is slowing making its way down my neck.

This morning I got to feel the spin of the earth. At once I am simultaneously reminded of how insignificant I am in the universe, and how unique I am to be sentient and to be able to experience such a beautiful moment, which only I had and no other sentient being had at that moment.

This morning I felt the earth spin, and it was magnificent.

Bear Creek Falls

Yesterday was our last full day in Kelowna, and while we did a hike around these falls every day, I finally followed the creek into the falls that we could hear at a lookout, but couldn’t see. I didn’t think I’d see the falls, I was just curious.

The white-dotted trail was our usual, daily route.
It’s a fairly easy walk along the creek, but when I asked people coming the other way they said getting wet along the way was unavailable.
The first bend, you can already hear the falls.
Looking back around the first bend.
This 20-25 foot section was too deep to walk, and a little eggbeater kick was required to pass through.
First look at the falls.
Getting in, and feeling the force of the falls.
Last photo, but…
This was too good not to share, so I came back with my daughter and her friend.

I didn’t know I was going to be able to make it to the falls, I just wanted to check out the stream… this was a wonderfully unexpected, and special experience!

Magical Sunset

Kelowna, BC, Canada last night.

It looked like the mountain was on fire.
Got this walking to the shoreline, it’s completely unedited, but doesn’t seem real.
Walking to the shoreline.
Proof that these colours are natural and that I’m not playing with filters.
11 seconds of beauty.
And ending with a couple shots of the light show that came with the view.
The sun was setting at this point and the colours started to fade.

I’ve seen a lot of beautiful sunsets, but this one enamoured me like no other. It was truly magical.

Being near water

I meet my uncle on Zoom every Monday morning. We usually start the meeting at 6am on work days but over the summer break we have been meeting at 6:30am, (9:30am for him in Ontario). This morning I was up on time, but on holiday mode I ignored the calendar reminder that popped up without reading it, and so was late, only getting online after a text reminder. We are in a campground and so as not to wake anyone, I headed down to the beach for my conversation.

Our friends are up here, one campsite over, and also wake up early. They saw me and took a few photos.

What a wonderful location to hold a meeting! There are times that I wish I had a job that I could do from anywhere in the world. If I had such a job, I’d do my best to be near water often.

Yesterday I shared this 16 second video on Twitter from the same location, taken at dusk:

I love being near water, be it an ocean, a lake, a river, or even a tiny babbling brook. It seems like a mixed metaphor, but I feel grounded around water. I feel calm and centered. It’s always a good day when I can spend some time near water.

What’s an environment that comforts you?

Sitting Under a Large Tree

Sitting under a large tree, staring up at the branches, I can see that wind is a fickle thing. Some leaves and branches lay motionless, while others sway back and forth, while still others dance. The tree doesn’t resist. A larger gust of wind picks up, more of the tree moves this time, it undulates, absorbing the larger force, then settles down again.

Sitting under a large tree, I can imagine my ancestors doing the same. The kind of tree might have varied, but the experience would have been almost the same for hundreds and even thousands of years.

Sitting under a large tree can provide shade, shelter, even food. But more than anything, sitting under a tree provides time for quiet contemplation.

The wind blows, and leaves and branches dance again.