In her recent book, The Nature Fix, author Florence Williams explores the organized patterns called “fractals” behind seemingly chaotic natural objects and the health benefits they convey to humans.
The upshot is that when we immerse ourselves in nature, or even view an image of nature, we derive substantial salutary benefits. For residential architects who orchestrate the connections between indoors and outdoors, these ideas and their implications on design are worth exploring. Architects have long considered the concept of “prospect and refuge” when designing for multiple building types, but perhaps we’ve overemphasized the importance of refuge.
To whet your appetite for William’s book, you can read this fascinating excerpt in The Atlantic magazine (it’ll give you a new appreciation for the work of Jackson Pollock as well) and then go for a nice long walk.