Shelter is a universal human need – one shared with other living things – and to explore this necessity, the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) presents Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature. Introducing visitors to the functions of shelters and the ways both animals and humans have adapted to different environments through a diversity of structures, this interactive exhibition opens January 18, 2015 and runs through April 5, 2015.
Sustainable Shelter explores biodiversity, human and animal architecture, ecosystems, and energy and water conservation, all from the perspective of the “home” and shows how design processes can be used to alter contexts of dwelling. Just as birds select and gather materials from their local environments to fashion safe and nurturing nests, humans build homes that use natural resources to meet a vast array of needs and desires.
The exhibit reveals innovative new building technologies and strategies that can help restore the health and viability of natural cycles. More than 15 interactive components uncover how we can learn from nature to make our dwellings more sustainable parts of the earth’s natural systems. Graphics, cartoons and interactive computer games explore how daily actions are part of the earth’s carbon and water cycles. Visitors can test ways to make homes more sustainable with hands-on exhibits. Scale models show how the size and environmental impact of American homes have changed over time. Visitors can then build a model of a home that incorporates many of the environmental features presented in the exhibition.
