Tadao Ando once said
that when you look at traditional Japanese architecture, you have to look at
Japanese culture and its relationship with nature. He also said that one can
actually live in a harmonious, close contact with nature and that this was very
unique to Japan. I don’t know if what he said is necessarily true in all forms,
but he has a point. The important thing is that our living spaces should be as
close to nature as possible. I had an aunt and uncle who lived remotely in the
woods. I don’t remember much about them, but I’ll always remember that their
screened in back porch had a giant oak tree in the middle of it and a hole in
the roof so that the tree could continue to stand in the middle of this
enclosed area. I always marveled at that. We can’t all have that, but we can
keep nature close to us. A short walk after work, or to just sit outside for a
while and look at nature is important. It is vital to keep that connection.
