Moments of Collapse
A design exploration of humans fragile relationship to nature and time
By looking at the aftermath of a forest fire it is clearly visible how a natural phenomenon can fully transform and destroy both nature and human construction. In many ways it completely opposes our idea of nature as peaceful and passive. The forest fire becomes a symbol for humans’ fragility, and how this phenomenon is increasing as the result of our civilisations’ vain dreams of immortality.
This thesis takes its point of departure in the many problems of today evoking strong feelings of being a part of a living world that breaks down; feelings of collapse. The world is acting unfamiliary, where nature becomes a threat that is impossible to control.
How can architecture speak about collapse in order to question humans’ fragile relationship to nature and time?
As an exploration about natural collapses through the material of clay, this thesis is an attempt to discuss the fragile relationship between humans and nature, and how this can be mediated through architecture. This approach to design finds its inspiration in the phenomenological discourse, where the study of phenomena is used to generate architecture that provides spatial experiences. The duality of clays as a material with the possibility to mediate a deeper reflection on time, made the material especially relevant to investigate.
