W e l c o m e
The main purpose of this platform is to narrate part of my architectural journey so far...
...and so far, I have enjoyed my findings.
A b o u t M e
Harold Payet
Clayton South Victoria Australia
+61 438 333 388
I was born in Prahran, Victoria, Australia to French-descendant, Seychellois parents who migrated from Seychelles to Australia for 'a better life'. I’m indebted to them for introducing me to a scenic environment that is diverse, progressive and prosperous.
Domestic construction was presented to me at an early age by my father who was a builder, a carpenter and a cabinet maker. In Seychelles, he built houses in coastal environments and in Australia, he crafted indoor and outdoor timber furniture, cabinetry and external structures around our home and for some family and friends.
My appreciation and admiration of such craftmanship came very early in life which influenced my love of architecture. This led to my academic training in which I attained a Master of Architecture and a Master of Landscape Architecture upon graduating from a Bachelor of Design Architecture, admitted by Deakin University. Further gratitude towards my family for such achievements extends beyond reach.
My love of Nature comes from my poetic side in natural beauty. I have always embraced scenic views in Nature and being surrounded by her, at times abroad but especially in Australia where diverse landscapes allow for honest and innovative, ordered and organic, functional and playful, and sustainable architectural design in both built form and on natural terrain.
Drawing through sketches and painting and writing through essays and poetry about personal nostalgic reflections are also great inspirations.
This site is continually updated
Selected works of my Architecture
Selected works of my Landscape Architecture
I have obtained two Level 9 academic research accomplishments through my completion of both Master of Architecture (MArch) and Master of Landscape Architecture (MLArch) degrees, and a Level 7 in a Bachelor of Design (Architecture) (BDArch) degree from Deakin University, with an average grade of Distinction.
My Master (MArch) Thesis (Grade: 78 Distinction) research is titled ‘Health and wellbeing of humans through biophilia, its architectural design interventions and new research opportunities’. My main research and analysis focused on, ‘What combination of natural biophilic elements and experiences of nature are recommended for human well-being when deployed in working office and health care facility indoor environments?’ I was fortunate to complete this under the supervision of Dr. Astrid Roetzel, a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University.
My broad design knowledge and approaches in both Professions in Architecture and Landscape Architecture may be distinct but is usually complementary, versatile and adaptive in continual changing human and worldly environments. Depending on each brief, the design objectives of both disciplines on selected and various sites and scales can, and often should be, among others, interactive, functional, proportional, complex and ordered, mysterious although truthful, biomorphic and organic, respectful, sustainable and sometimes playful with prospect and refuge elements so long as comprehensive research parameters and interpretative skillsets are applied. Thus, the design threshold between the built form and landscape environments should be holistically connected with shared outcomes.
Through thorough site analysis, specialised geometric-design techniques and applications in any space, and biophilic design patterns found in Nature and that represent Nature, I aim to achieve such outcomes with a profound and defined sense of place and loci that is enjoyed and that benefits human health and well-being.
Knowing how to apply such research is the key that unlocks restricted boundaries; a key that continually turns and revolves in each of my design deliverables.
Main inspirations of my philosophies in Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Since the beginning of time, Nature has synonymously prevailed, evolving through worldly climates, and beautiful and often discomforting environments. It is therefore imperative for humans at the top of the food chain hierarchy to follow natural forms in many aspects of life to retain longevity. Architects and designers can follow organic forms creatively in many design applications to ensure that functional, sustainable, and truthful systems and processes are applied. After all, it is within these parameters that have shown to stand tests of time.
Take the bodily structures of birds that have inspired the use of aerodynamics in aircrafts for example (1a-1b), and the termite mounds in hot climates that have inspired thermal mass properties in bricks and concrete to absorb high heat gain, and then release them internally when external temperatures decrease (1c-1d). These biomorphic (structures that resemble the forms of living organisms) applications not only minimise energy consumption within buildings, they also provide sustainability and functionality in their materiality and design layout (1e). This attribute is contained under Biophilic Pattern 8 (of 14), [see below; 'The 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design'].
Nature always finds ways of maximising life-survival and perseverance. We innately inherited our need to seek connections with Her and other forms of life through biophilia. Prospect and Refuge applications and other principles and patterns seen in biophilic design have been found to support nature and health relationships and their links to biophilia, which are achieved through these three mind-body systems: (1) Cognitive functionality and performance; which activates our mental agility and memory, and our ability to think and learn logically or creatively, (2) Physical health and well-being; which activates our adaptability, alertness, attention, concentration, and emotion and mood which include responses to nature, and (3) Psychological health and well-being, which activates our hearing, musculoskeletal, respiratory, circadian systems and overall physical and mental comfort include relaxation of muscles, as well as lowering stress (Browning, Ryan, Clancy 2014, p. 11) & Payet (2018, p. 6).
This mindset has come a long way from recent years where many buildings were designed to completely obscure natural elements such as light and ventilation, and other elements. Today we strive to holistically include these to minimise the use of fossil fuels and to maximise energy efficiency.
It is through the above principles and patterns, and others that have not been mentioned, that provides a blank slate on which architects and designers can draw creative inspirations.
H. Payet (2022)
(1a) Biomimicry: The Kingfisher bill inspired the bullet train’s streamline nose to improve aerodynamics
(1b) Biomimicry: A bird in flight & a stealth fighter jet
(1c) Biomimicry & Biomorphic systems: The natural interior structure of an African termite nest & a building that achieves 10% less energy consumption compared to other conventional buildings its size
(1d) Biomimicry
(1e) Biomorphic: The air movement in the nature inspired ventilation system installed in high rise buildings
The following are parts of my Thesis, used here as examples of some applications in Biophilic Design
The term ‘Biophilia’ is defined as ‘the inherent human inclination to affiliate with natural systems and processes, especially life and life-like features of the non-human environment’ (Kellert, Heerwagen & Mador 2008, p. 3). This ‘deep-seated need of humans to connect with nature’ (Ryan et al 2014, p. 62) is also known as the ‘Biophilia hypothethis’. This suggests that the affiliation with life and life-like processes, such as ecological functions and structures, has contributed innate advantages throughout the human evolutionary struggle of survival to ‘adapt, persist, and thrive as individuals and as a species’ (Kellert & Wilson 1993, p. 42).
The term, ‘Biophilic design’, as defined by Gillis and Gatersleben (2015) is, ‘a design philosophy that encourages the use of natural systems and processes in the design of the built environment’. Payet (2018, p. 4).
Figure 2
Curiosity, Mystery and Enticement
Architectural trail bend from darkened area leads to enlightened setting can trigger explorative behaviour.
Architect: Geoffrey Bawa.
Building: Kandalama Hotel, Sri Lanka: Completed in 1995. Internal view from entrance.
Source: Hes & Plessis (2015, p. 61) &
Payet (2018, p. 32)
The 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design
Figure 3
14 Patterns of biophilic design
Source: Soderlund & Newman (2015, p. 953). Re-drawn by H. Payet.
Biophilic Design Elements
Figure 3a
Framework of six biophilic design elements and 72 biophilic attributes derived from the works of Stephen Kellert and Wilson in 1993, (Kellert, Heerwagen and Mador 2008, p. 15).
Re-drawn by H. Payet.
To be continued...