Nature Retreat at Idukki Dam, Kerala

Abstract

A building envelope is one that has been designed not only to aid housing its occupants, but also to provide a comfortable indoor environment, and a smooth transition of spaces from indoor to outdoor for carrying out activities efficiently. The piece of land on which construction takes place, is called Vastu, and this Vastu, being a part of this Universe, is essentially made of the same basic elements of fire, water, air, earth, space. This paper deals with the active and passive methods of including these naturally occurring elements in architectural design. By using these natural elements to create various sensory stimuli in architectural spaces, one can invoke the desired feelings and emotions in the user with respect to the context of the designed space. The goal is to urge the general public to start appreciating biophilically designed spaces, to value silence and nature, and outdoor living in their lives, and to come to see that silence really isn’t the absence of something, rather it’s the presence of everything. By silencing oneself, we slowly shift our focus from the five senses, and the mind (the body-mind), and direct it inward. By stilling the inner turbulence of our lives, we get a step closer to being “sophrosyne”, a word that refers to a healthy and calm state of mind and body, characterized by a perfect awareness of all of one's actions and thoughts.