Never has the relationship between art and nature been more complicated and more fragile, but also richer and more fascinating. The artists and architects in Natural Architecture have transformed the act of building into an art form capable of sparking new relationships with nature, landscape, and the environment. Though far from basic or primitive, these creations are built from humble elementsbranches, twigs, pebbles, straw, stonefound at their site. Fulfilling a wide variety of intentionssometimes structural, sometimes sculptural, sometimes sacredthe works presented here inspire a sense of awe and reverence for the forces of nature. From a bridge in Tibet connecting an orphanage anda nearby village, to a hut fit for mythical creatures, to a pavilion in Iceland with a roof made of water perpetually frozen in an exuberant shape, each project resonates with a sense of purpose and innate beauty. Natural Architecture presents sixty-six site-specific installations that use raw materials, manual labor,and natural stimuli to create truly green architecture that is as organic as the materials with which it is created. Projects by Olafur Eliasson, Patrick Dougherty, Nils-Udo, Ex. Studio, Edward Ng, nArchitects, and many others are shown together for the first time. Selected for their commitment to the use of raw materials, manual labor, and natural inspiration, these works are vividly displayed in photographs, drawings, and models. These fantastical creations allow the changing landscape to naturally overtake each structure until it finally decomposes. Each project is accompanied by a series of photographs, drawings, and models. The rugged and surreal beauty of the projects in Natural Architecture question the wisdom of our ever accelerating construction processes and point a way forward, toward a new organic simplicity of structure and form. Each of the 66 featured site-specific installations, built from found on-site materials, is carefully cataloged with photographs, drawings, and models. Ultimately, these fantastical creations allow the changing landscape to naturally overtake each structure until it finally decomposes. -- American Style, June 2008 Like many surveys of particular themes of art, this book is one of the more useful compilations, with enough breadth of images to appeal to a wide range of artists and architects. -- Landscape Architecture, September 2007 With photos, notes, postcards and maps these albums evoke not only a long-gone world of steamer ships, train travel and the grand tour, but also the boundless wonder of travel at a time when the world seemed unimaginably vast. As beautiful as it is fascinating. -- Marin, December 2007 an inspiring collection by a really diverse selection of architects and designers -- WorldChanging, September 19, 2007 "In this remarkable book, Alessandro Rocca, architect and critic at Milan Polytechnic, has assembled a world of almost surreal beauty. " --Architect, October, 2007 "In a world driven by high-tech gadgetry, creations of organic architecture--by hand, with raw materials that are truly green--are worthy competitors to the latest skyscraper in any competition for psychic reward. In this remarkable book, Alessandro Rocca, architect and critic at Milan Polytechnic, has assembled a world of almost surreal beauty." --Architect, October, 2007 "Ecologically sensitive projects make up Natural Architecture. Some, such as a water station and a chicken house, are practical; many are dazzling in their inventiveness and beauty; and all were made from materials on-site." --House & Garden, October, 2007 "each project resonates with a sense of purpose and innate beauty." --Brunswick Street Bookstore Alessandro Rocca is an architect, architecture critic, and professor at the Milan Polytechnic. He is the author of numerous books and articles on architecture. Used Book in Good Condition