Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA) | KRIS YAO | ARTECH

Foreword
The campus is designed to be in harmony with nature, physically merging architecture into the terrain while programmatically employing sustainability.
DESIGN DESCRIPTION
Situated on a magnificent wooded hill, the university is located on two connecting sites. The larger site to the southwest is in a shallow valley, with two streams running through and views towards the nearby plains below, while the other site to the east is on a terraced hill, with spectacular views to the ocean. Established by a Buddhist group, the university strongly emphasizes harmony with nature and ecological sustainability in the development of the campus.
The campus sought to maintain most of its natural terrains and resources, while the architecture aims to blend into its natural settings as much as possible. As a result, low-rise, multi-layered buildings are placed on the various terrains on the site, allowing smooth horizontal links between nature and the buildings.     
A footbridge over a stream links the two academic areas. Its design is minimal yet poetic, serving as a symbolic and iconic feature for the campus. The landscape plays an important role in shaping the characters of the campus through careful attention to blending in with nature, the use of recycled water and rainwater for irrigation, and the allocation of various meditative settings.