My idea of combining nature reclaiming with architecture begins with looking at erosion. I've already mentioned how the great pyramids of Giza have eroded significantly over the years, but I also started looking at how other buildings have done in terms of erosion.
The Colosseum was something I immediately thought of as, having been there myself, I noticed a lot of erosion while I was there. There are holes all over the walls of it where it has been subject to weathering over a long period of time. As the link below explains, cold temperatures in the winter cause damage to the building, and cause parts of it to crumble away. Also, with climate change, the increased amount of rain is damaging the ancient buildings in Rome.
Similarly in Egypt, the sand storms that occur in the desert are slowly eroding the pyramids and temples away. Also, because many of the temples and tombs are made from limestone, when it becomes extremely hot, the stone becomes more brittle and more vulnerable to breaking.
If you follow the link above you'll see a story a little closer to home. Big Ben is starting to be tested by time as it had begun to lean ever so slightly. One theory of this is that the clay foundation is beginning to dry out, and so not as stable anymore. It currently leans at 1/16th of the lean demonstrated by the tower at Pisa.
This is all natural erosion I'm talking here, not even to mention the thousands upon thousands of tourists that are destroying these places bit by bit every year. It just goes to show that everything will eventually disappear. Even with restoration, erosion and change is a natural thing.
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