Biodiversity.

It’s a term you may have heard gaining more popularity in environmental and design circles, but what does it mean for urban design and architecture? The concept itself is as old as time: According to the American Museum of Natural History, biodiversity “refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life.” 

This concept is intrinsically connected to architecture, as we look at how to create healthy and harmonious environments that not only treat humans as residents but also consider the creatures and flora with which we share space. Encouraging biodiversity in design creates environments that are beneficial for everyone and promotes the idea that humans can be part of the ecosystem, rather than dominate it. Instead of separating nature and development, weaving the two together eases the nature deficit from which people suffer and serves the end goal of sustainability. Plus, it’s more delightful!  

There are many ways to approach biodiversity in design. The following are a few strategies Caddis Collaborative has found success in. You can read about specific projects where we have taken this approach. We’re excited to push these ideas even further in the future!

1. Encourage symbiosis

The first step toward biodiversity is changing the way that we, as humans, relate to the land, flora, and fauna. Rather than primarily taking over the land, we can create symbiotic relationships within a site. There are many opportunities for implementing this strategy, many of which can be small but powerful details.

One opportunity is the plantings on a site, where we can choose plants that are local, edible, and pollinator-friendly. An edible landscape allows residents to grow food in their neighborhood and can foster community, activate the outdoors, and over time, improve the topsoil of the site. Daily interaction with these plant communities supports human health – both physical and mental! Plants will draw in other animals, including bees, birds, and more. Providing bee, bird, and bat houses throughout the site gives these creatures a space to live alongside us.

(Top) A bird house brick! – Source (Bottom) Edible landscape! – Source

2. De-emphasize the automobile

We usually associate “out of sight, out of mind” with procrastination, but in the case of site planning and transportation, it can be very beneficial for promoting sustainable and sharing practices while not stripping users of their typical options and agency. 

In the example of transportation, when we de-emphasize the automobile – either by consolidating parking in a decentralized location or subtly inserting parking around the perimeter – and foreground other forms of travel (such as walking, biking, and buses), those other forms become a more natural choice for residents. Creating mixed-use neighborhoods in which you can have most of your needs met within a 15-minute walk is an essential strategy playing out at an urban scale. Why take your car to the corner market when you could bike over there? You might even run into a neighbor who’s heading the same way!

De-emphasizing the automobile in the site design opens up the possibilities for other amenities to step in, such as a car-free common green, community gardens, and playgrounds!

3. Create outdoor rooms

In order to encourage interaction with nature, outdoor areas need to be appealing and accessible to residents. Just as we have rooms in our house to meet specific needs, we can create “outdoor rooms” that are intentionally designed to meet a variety of privacy, noise, and activity needs.

Active gathering spaces are critical for a site, but balancing this with private outdoor space is very important. Especially in the cases of multifamily projects, we don’t want residents to feel as though their only option for privacy is within their own units, where they are cut off from nature. Using smart landscaping that is intentional in how it curates views and sounds, we can create layers of privacy so that there is a space for every activity, from a large group cookout to individual meditation.

(Above) Kiddo-scale spaces! – Photo Credits: Bryan Bowen

Accessibility to these spaces includes wheelchair and walker accessibility. In addition, it means going beyond ADA standards and thoughtfully sizing spaces for users following Universal Design principles. Examples of this are raised garden beds for elderly residents or small and safe spaces for children. By addressing the needs of a site’s various residents rather than curating to the “typical” resident, we can create outdoor spaces that are inviting and accessible to everyone.

4. Choreograph for contact

Choreographing the site’s circulation ties together the previous strategies by ensuring that outdoor spaces are active and populated. If a site has a community garden but it is not along the residents’ path home, the garden may suffer from neglect. We can decentralize the automobile, but if the site does not also intentionally draw people through the site’s center, residents may end up primarily operating on the perimeter of their community, between home and car. We can create peaceful and accessible outdoor spaces, but they do still need to be “discoverable.”

Biodiversity in design is about encouraging a variety of life – which cannot happen if residents are not compelled to be engaged and active in their outdoor spaces. Intentionally choreographing site circulation – with an understanding of residents’ habits, needs, and schedules – increases contact with other residents, specific spaces, and with nature as a whole.

What’s next?

So how do we encourage biodiversity in architecture, given the fact that much of new built work is within our growing urban environments? Take a look at our blog post “Designing with Nature: Biodiverse Design in Caddis Projects.” 

Above: Caddis Biodiversity Design Graphic