This project dwells on the major five elements of nature – earth, water, fire, air and ether, from the perspective of material, energy management and designs of built environment.

Historically, humans have responded to the climate and context through architecture of public spaces, residences, etc. In India, the ancient theory of Architecture, Vastu Shastra, was widely prevalent among our society. Foreign invasions, destruction of texts and structures, and deliberate brain-washing to glorify a non-indigenous, so-called modern and polished way of life and architecture, completely submerged the more sustainable and environment friendly theory of Architecture. Lately,there have been architects, deliberately making use of natural elements, resources and materials to create spaces as experiments or living laboratories to prove theories such as phenomenology, neuroscience, etc.

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This research does not endeavor to prove any such theory, but tries to document a number of structures and spaces which were consciously designed by Architects, keeping in mind any or all of the major five elements of nature and investigating their effects on the intended users and their responses to the same.

The objective of this research is to make the readers of the compilation aware of the importance of the natural elements and resources, which play such an important part of our existence. The aim is to present this research in a way which is contemporary, yet at the same time endorses the relationship between man’s built environment and nature, and the effect that it has on man’s psychophysical well being.

Students will learn to gather authentic information, evaluate, understand and reproduce the same in an ethical manner and citing and referencing wherever necessary, without resorting to plagiarism. The students will also learn to design a book for publication of the same.