Geometric shapes are found all around us in nature and have inspired artists and architects. Common shapes seen in nature and used in architecture include triangles, squares, pentagons, spirals, radial symmetry, and near-perfect symmetry between sides. Examples provided in the document include the honeycomb, the Pentagon building, the Taj Mahal, orange segments, a teapot, and the Sydney Opera House which was designed to resemble orange segments. Nature, math, and recycled materials can provide inspiration for unique architectural designs.

1. Shapes Around UsShapes Around Us
Looking at BuildingsLooking at Buildings
and Environments, forand Environments, for
Grade 6Grade 6

2. Geometric Shapes – "The laws of
nature are but the mathematical
thoughts of God”
- Euclid –
a
mathema-
tician who
lived over
2000
years ago

3. The nature all around us shows that
there is a Designer, who applied the
rules of Maths to all his Creations
(he invented maths too!)

4. In Nature we can see many
geometric (mathematical) shapes.

5. Which shapes can you see in this
honeycomb?

6. Artists and architects have often
been inspired by these shapes and
mathematical rules.
The Pentagon building – Virginia, USA

7. Here the pentagon appears again,
in a partition wall design.

8. Often, natural
shapes and
forms have
near-perfect
Symmetry
(both sides
being identical
but reversed).

9. The arrow shows the Line of
Symmetry

10. An example of symmetry in architecture: the
Taj Mahal in India – built by a 'Shah'
(emperor), in memory of his third wife,
between 1631-54

11. These segments of an orange are
showing perfect radial symmetry.

13. Radial symmetry in a teapot!

14. An example in architecture is the
rotunda dome skylight in the Museum
African American History Detroit
Michigan USA

15. The fibonacci spiral is a shape with
mathematical rules that is found in
many places in nature, such as this
shell, our ears, the solar system...

16. The fibonacci spiral inspired this
path in a park (Eastwood Hill) in
New Zealand...

17. ...and this spiral staircase.

18. More shapes in architecture and
environments

19. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most
famous buildings in the world. This photo
shows it at night.

20. The designer of the Sydney Opera
House wanted the shapes to look
like the segments of an orange.

21. Can you notice the similarity in the
shapes?

23. Aluminium (a metal) was used to construct
this building in a Botanical Gardens
environment. (Michigan, US)

24. A view from inside the same
structure

25. This greenhouse in Gruningen
Botanical Garden, Germany, is
inspired by the shapes of trees.

26. A closer view
of the same
greenhouse
– it is made
of steel and
glass.

27. This garden pavillion was constructed using recycled
builder's 'palettes'. What shape are the spaces between
the palettes?

28. On the subject of recycled materials, here is a floor
design consisting of bottle tops. The architect Dan
Phillips of Texas uses many recycled materials in the
houses that he designs.

29. The Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, has
dome-shaped 'biospheres'. Which natural
creation do they also resemble?

30. Glass pyramid next to the Louvre, Paris, France

32. This modern
farmhouse
displays a
simple
arched
shape.

33. Interesting angular shapes in a
holiday residence in the Italian Alps

35. What other unusual shapes could be
included in your building or environment
design?

36. This is a
museum
of
architec-
ture in
Japan

37. How about a dodecahedron?

38. Should all our environments be still?

39. The possibilities for inventing new
and interesting designs are almost
limitless...
If you could invent an unusual
dwelling or environment, could you
create one like no other that ever
existed???