Architectural Design Philosophy

Experiencing great architecture is like enjoying the finest of natural environments. It rewards the senses. It sparks imagination and emotions. It inspires. It enhances consciousness. SFIA’s mission is to provide that kind of experience in the process of architectural education. Hundreds of architects, artists, and technologists are working on this level. These are the ones we study and learn from at SFIA. These architects work in ways that are called Organic, Evolutionary, Ecological, and even Extropian or Futurist.

Organic Architecture is integrated with environmental and human needs to a degree never seen in conventional buildings or known to most schools of architecture. The depth and impact of this integration is similar to that found in great music and the natural world. The results, at their best, are a synthesis of function and form, poetry and technology, humanity and nature . . . and extraordinarily uplifting to those fortunate enough to experience it.

Evolutionary and Ecological architectures combine Organic integration with natural process, environmental sensitivity, health awareness, and economical simplicity.

Extropian and Futurist architectures suggest that life and human consciousness can be raised to higher plateaus through visionary applications of advanced technology.

Nature Based Architecture is the overall term that describes all of the above. Nature based architecture represents, in a single phrase, the architecture that is emerging from this school, its teachers, and its students.