Philosophy of Science

From Nature to Technological Architecture: An Epistemological Framework

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Mahdi Motamedmanesh

Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran,

10.30465/ps.2025.51556.1775
Abstract
This article offers a critical reassessment of the dominant narrative in architectural historiography, challenging the myth of the “heroic architect” as the sole originator of structural innovation. Through a three-phase framework—from intuitive imitation to analytical abstraction and finally mutual interplay—it argues that modern structural breakthroughs were not products of isolated genius but the result of a sustained intellectual, philosophical, and experimental tradition. Nature, in this context, functioned not merely as aesthetic inspiration but as an epistemological and procedural partner in design thinking. The widespread use of small-scale models in the twentieth century architecture is examined as a pivotal tool for generating architectural knowledge. By revisiting the works of prominent figures of tectonic architecture, the study demonstrates how architectural form emerged from interdisciplinary discourse and cultural continuity rather than rupture. Ultimately, innovation is recast as a collective and cumulative process, embedded within a deeper heritage of dialogue between human reason and natural order.

Keywords

Innovation
Biomimicry
Architectural Epistemology
Small-scale Modeling
Philosophy of Science
Volume 14, Issue 1
June 2024
Pages 253-286

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us