The Occupation of Nature: Man as a Dominating Force

In the world that we live in, nature and man are seen as one as the same. However, we as a species have, in a way, separated ourselves from the natural world. As we build and grow, with our concrete jungles and monolithic structures, the plant life which would have been abundant a few hundred years ago starts to fade. The human race acts as a destroyer, maybe even an occupier, dominating the very thing we were a part of.

In this sense, my work focusses on a way to assist nature in its regrowth, allowing it to be protected and to later flourish. It gives the idea that man does not always have to be an aggressive and destructive force, and that a we can help rebuild the natural world rather than to take over and slowly snuff it out.

My first term work looked at how a device could be used in order to help nature prosper. Here, I focussed on how weeds and smaller plants were able to survive within cracks and surfaces along Brighton beach. This area is very heavily man-made, with pavement and road overlooking the rocks and the sea, with a vast array of buildings behind consisting of shops and hotels. With nature being so hidden and overlooked, I wished to find a way to give these plants a new footing and allow them a way to grow, even with humanity’s creations suppressing them. This then led me to find a way to, instead of destroying nature, help nature to destroy man’s creation. What was born from this was a device to have multiple purposes in order to benefit the growth of certain weeds and plants, which could break pavement and allow a group of seeds to be planted in the broken spot. Over time, this would then grow where a man-made structure is currently situated, and slowly take over, allowing nature to take back control.

What I learnt from my first term project was that nature cannot always fend for itself, so a way to assist it further would be needed to ensure its survival. This gave me the idea to create an embassy for nature. Run by the Sussex Wildlife Trust, the building I have designed will give the chance for plants, trees, and other wildlife to be preserved and protected. Not only would the building be a headquarters for a group looking to save and watch over natural places within Sussex, but will also include sections where endangered plants could thrive within a controlled environment. This also allowed the public to enter and see what types of plants were growing, and gives them the chance to learn and know how nature is being preserved within our world today.