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"As eco-consciousness takes centerstage in many parts of the world, architecture follows suit. A return to the most basic organic materials, simple forms of construction, and a deep connection to the land characterize the structures featured in Natural Architecture Now, a new book out from Princeton Architectural Press.\n\nA sequel to the acclaimed monograph Natural Architecture, Francesca Tatarella's latest tome focuses on today's most compelling structural works\u2014from urban art installations to rural huts\u2014that turn earthy elements into works of awe-inspiring beauty.\n\nReaders may recognize Big Bamb\u00FA, a blockbuster installation by artists Doug and Mike Starn that made waves in 2010 atop New York's Metropolitan Museum (attracting the fourth-highest number of visitors to a modern art installation), and in a different iteration, on Venice's Grand Canal for the 2011 Biennale. The work, which the Starn brothers alter throughout each exhibition, consists of thousands of bamboo poles that visitors can climb, play on, and explore.\n\nTatarella counters the visual fury of the Starns' work with projects that delight in simplicity, like those of Vancouver-based Patkau Architects. The firm's sleek, geometrical skating shelters are meant to resemble a herd of wildlife, the huddled plywood structures each working to shield the others from the frozen landscape of Winnipeg, Manitoba.\n\nDespite the disparate visual character of these works, one thing is for certain\u2014even the most cutting-edge design could learn from Mother Nature.\n\nSee some of our favorite projects from Natural Architecture Now.\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/natural-architecture-now-book-article>