Emulated Ecology

Natural versus built environment. Nature versus man made. Organic versus inorganic. These are arguments that have been stated and debated since the early architectural times of Vitruvius and are still prevalent even in today’s popular practice. As a whole architecture has moved towards a more green direction with the introduction of programs such as LEED and Architecture 2030. We have become more and more strict on the way we grade and evaluate the sustainability of a project, not just in the energy used and stored in the construction and operation of a building, but we have even begun to look at the carbon sequestration of the materials used and how the local community is affected and can be educated. My thesis aims to evaluate the next step of this green equation. My thesis begs the question, “How as designers can we make the most of our architectural ecosystems?” If we design through the application of ecological principles, we can achieve inherently more sustainable architectural interventions. When we begin to look at the relationships our buildings have with one another in a given urban fabric we begin to move past the ideas of just mimicking natural forms and into the realm where our cities act as net positive ecosystems on their own