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Traditional Street and Architectural Photography
Architecture and Nature
Nov 25, 2018 14:55:51   #
mallen1330 Loc: Chicago western suburbs
 
Architecture - the built environment - by definition has a relationship with nature. The things we design and build exist in nature. That relationship can be good or bad. By "good", I mean that that we design to blend in, integrate -- not overpower -- to incorporate and take advantage of the benefits the natural environment provides -- both physical and psychological.

Traditional Japanese architecture understood this and made it almost a religious priority. Today we most often insert a bit of nature into our urban and suburban landscapes. Such as parks, forest preserves, or the "nature museum" conservatory experience -- rather than carefully planning for synergetic and harmonious integration of buildings and nature.


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Nov 25, 2018 17:52:07   #
RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia
 
Good set.
Were a lot of these images shot in Japan?

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Nov 25, 2018 19:27:07   #
mallen1330 Loc: Chicago western suburbs
 
RichardTaylor wrote:
Good set.
Were a lot of these images shot in Japan?

No. All are in the greater Chicago area: Japanese gardens in Batavia, and Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago.

That's my point. We acknowledge the need and benefits of experiencing and protecting the natural environment, but in today's urban living, we only have "nature museums" where we go for an occasional outing, instead of living IN nature. This is the inevitable result of urbanization, population growth, industrialization, etc. I'm not saying that past generations were any better or better off. Architects in the 20th, 21st centuries have tried to address this. Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered the idea with Broadacre City (1932). Frederick Law Olmsted - the "father of landscape architecture", had an impact on Chicago and New York. Paolo Soleri proposed ecologically sound human habitats and actually built an experimental town in Arizona.

My post here was to illustrate "good" integration of architecture into the natural environment and how we are how we are coping with our current urban condition.

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Nov 26, 2018 07:33:53   #
dek Loc: S.W. Florida
 
This concept might be worthy of a new section, seems a little beyond 'traditional street and architectural photography'

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Nov 26, 2018 19:20:00   #
mallen1330 Loc: Chicago western suburbs
 
dek wrote:
This concept might be worthy of a new section, seems a little beyond 'traditional street and architectural photography'

These photos are on topic IMO. Can you please explain why they're not?

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Nov 26, 2018 22:06:55   #
truckster Loc: Tampa Bay Area
 
mallen1330 wrote:
These photos are on topic IMO. Can you please explain why they're not?


They are on topic ... and I read a compliment in his post.

Nice captures ... you have a good eye ...

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Nov 27, 2018 08:11:28   #
waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li
 
mallen1330 wrote:
Architecture - the built environment - by definition has a relationship with nature. The things we design and build exist in nature. That relationship can be good or bad. By "good", I mean that that we design to blend in, integrate -- not overpower -- to incorporate and take advantage of the benefits the natural environment provides -- both physical and psychological.

Traditional Japanese architecture understood this and made it almost a religious priority. Today we most often insert a bit of nature into our urban and suburban landscapes. Such as parks, forest preserves, or the "nature museum" conservatory experience -- rather than carefully planning for synergetic and harmonious integration of buildings and nature.
Architecture - the built environment - by definiti... (show quote)


They are all pretty nice but I really like #4 and #6.

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Nov 27, 2018 12:29:20   #
dek Loc: S.W. Florida
 
mallen1330 wrote:
These photos are on topic IMO. Can you please explain why they're not?


didn't say they are off topic. I do think these photos take the blending of architecture and nature a step further. google 'Raymond Jungles', Roberto Burle Marx', and of course 'Olmstead'
all masters at creating the natural environment in the urban landscape

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Nov 27, 2018 13:09:41   #
mallen1330 Loc: Chicago western suburbs
 
dek wrote:
didn't say they are off topic.

Sorry. I misundertood your comment. Olmstead was one of my heroes. For many years, I lived a block from his Jackson park in Hyde Park, Chicago, walking my dog on wooded island. This is now where they are proposing to build the Obama library. We hope it doesn't ruin the park.

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Sep 27, 2019 19:55:36   #
Photocraig
 
mallen1330 wrote:
Sorry. I misundertood your comment. Olmstead was one of my heroes. For many years, I lived a block from his Jackson park in Hyde Park, Chicago, walking my dog on wooded island. This is now where they are proposing to build the Obama library. We hope it doesn't ruin the park.


I'm glad you "got it." I think inspiring a special section or subsection sounds like well-deserved high praise to me. I thought you are even more on topic. Excellent Architecture, to me, enhances the surroundings while serving a structural need. There are too many sore thumb ultra artistic dysfunctional building to go around.

Great technical photos, too.
C

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Sep 27, 2019 20:12:50   #
waegwan Loc: Mae Won Li
 
[quote=" There are too many sore thumb ultra artistic dysfunctional building to go around."

C[/quote]

Sad but very true.

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Oct 21, 2019 14:12:26   #
dansmith Loc: Southwest Alberta Canada
 
I like all of these a lot.

Great photo essay on a too often ignored part of urban planning.

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