The Nature of happiness

Abstract

Designed as a 384,300 SF urban mixed-use community Node and placed in Minneapolis, MN this thesis attempts to show how architectural design may respond to the overwhelming pollution, poor quality of life and mass urban sprawl produced by today’s urban environment? Nature has given us the basic building blocks to create more harmonious environments for ourselves. If we apply what we observe from nature into our own urban environments we have an opportunity to reduce urban sprawl, reduce stress on infrastructure, reduce overall pollution, and increase the quality of life for ourselves and our community.