Biodiver_Cities: supporting native biodiversity in the built environment

Future built environments need to address climate change and biodiversity loss. This research shows that by using an ecosystem services framework combined with biophilic design principles, the built environment is capable of contributing to regeneration of ecosystems and biodiversity in urban environments, while addressing the wellbeing needs of people. Architecture and the built environment must play a crucial role in the reduction of biodiversity loss and must support or generate ecosystem services in the urban environment. New Zealand’s biodiversity is unique, evolving free from land-based mammals, excluding three bat species, for thousands of years and has left almost all indigenous species hugely vulnerable to introduced mammal predators. With predicted urban population increase, and the subsequent need for more infrastructure, the way architects and engineers design the required buildings and systems will have a direct impact on surrounding ecosystems and biodiversity. Therefore, designers should consider ecosystem services and biodiversity throughout the process of design. Through the emulating ecosystems and their functions and through incorporating biophilic design principles, our urban environment may work towards the creation of regenerative buildings that positively influence society from a health and wellbeing perspective, while adding to resilience as the climate continues to change. This research explores this topic through a design-led research methodology, combining ecology and ecological psychology knowledge, into an ecological and psychological regenerative design. The approach concludes that an understanding of the complex ecosystem services and the biophilic design principles is required to make intentional design designs and navigate trade-offs