Reference no: EM133367144

Case Study: More recent work has suggested that this kind of familiar natural movement makes us feel connected to the present moment, in a way that mimics meditative practices such as mindfulness, but without requiring our active attention.

As someone who teaches and writes about architecture, I've spent the last two decades looking at how nature can be more effectively brought into our buildings, beyond just buying fish tanks and potted plants.

number of buildings already successfully bring the movements of the weather indoors. I first encountered these in Japan, where designers such as Kengo Kuma and Toshihito Yokouchi have produced stunning indoor environments animated by the natural movements of the sun, wind and rain.

Wind-animated foliage silhouettes cast on translucent panels at Tokyo's Baisou-in Temple, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates. Kevin Nute, CC BY

'Let the sun come in, let the wind come in'

Designing all buildings this way would clearly take a great deal of money and time. But there are simple ways that you can create such effects in your own home right now, and at minimal cost. All of the following examples were created for less than US$50 using existing residential windows and balconies.

Placing an insect screen and a net curtain outside a window, for example, will generate moiré patterns that change as the wind varies. This works even on overcast days, but in direct sun the moiré patterns are also cast as moving

shadows on interior surfaces.

Moiré patterns that change as the wind outside varies can be produced by an insect screen and a net curtain. Kevin Nute, CC BY

If you have a deck or balcony that receives direct sunlight, the wind-generated movements of foliage can be projected onto a translucent shade or blind to make them seem part of the interior.

Wind-animated foliage shadows cast on a sun shade. Kevin Nute, CC BY

If the foliage is far enough away, wind-animated images of the sun can also be cast on indoor surfaces.

Wind-animated images of the sun cast on an interior wall. Kevin Nute, CC BY

You can also project wind-animated reflected sunlight onto indoor surfaces by placing a shallow tray of water on a sun-facing balcony. This effect can even be recreated at night by directing an external security light onto the water surface. The same setup can also project ripples caused by rain.

Raindrop ripples reflected onto a ceiling from an outdoor water surface at night. Kevin Nute, CC BY

Rather than thinking of the weather as an adversary that we need to shield ourselves from, then, it might be better to consider it a friend and welcome it back into our homes - particularly if we're going to be spending a lot more more time there in the future.

On the subject of mistaking the weather as a foe, the late-20th century Indian mystic Osho used the following metaphor to describe the folly of trying to protect ourselves from all of life's uncertainties:

Question: What is your interpetation of Osho's quote? What are your thoughts on what Osho said? Provide a complete answer.