Biophilic Design

🌍 This circular building that recycles its air 💨♻️ and boasts an 800-meter running track is making waves! 🏃♂️ 'Basecamp Lyngby,' the innovative project that has propelled the Danish city of Lyngby to win the Green Cities Europe Award 2023. A place where design, convenience, and sustainability coexist harmoniously and boasts: 1️⃣ Intergenerational Living: This unique complex brings together students, doctoral candidates, and seniors, fostering a vibrant and diverse community. 2️⃣ Waste Minimisation and Reuse: The building extensively uses recycled materials, particularly in its facade. These materials not only promote sustainability but can also be reused repeatedly, embodying the principles of a circular economy. 3️⃣ Recycled Air Systems: The heating and ventilation system utilizes recycled air, significantly reducing energy consumption and waste. This system captures and reuses 90% of the energy from extracted air to heat fresh air, enhancing energy efficiency. 4️⃣ Rainwater Harvesting: The complex includes rainwater storage facilities that collect and store rainwater for various uses, such as natural irrigation, thereby reducing the burden on the sewage system and conserving water. #circulareconomy #zerowaste Kragh Berglund Landscape Architecture and Urban Design and Lars Gitz Architects for the design, DronePixels for the footage 🍃

Check out this fascinating experiment by Dr Robert Thompson from the University of Reading Department of Meteorology, which shows how long it takes for a cup of water to soak into parched ground. The video, filmed here in the Harris Garden, illustrates why heavy rainfall after a drought can be really dangerous and might lead to flash flooding. #climatescience #climatechange #heatwave #drought #flooding #extremeweather #planetpartners

🌿 A groundbreaking residential complex now enhances Kuala Lumpur’s modern skyline. Le Nouvel KLCC, featuring two sleek towers standing at 43 and 48 stories, rises majestically in the heart of the city's bustling business district, KLCC. Designed by the renowned Ateliers Jean Nouvel, these towers are adorned with stunning vertical gardens crafted by the esteemed French landscape architect and botanist, Patrick Blanc. 🌱 Blanc's innovative design incorporates a grid of stainless-steel cables across the glass facades, interwoven with 243 species of high- and low-climbing liana vines, perfectly adapted to the varying environmental conditions from floor to floor. 🌿 The result is a mesmerizing green veil that not only beautifies but also brings a touch of nature into the urban landscape. On the seventh floor, a tranquil lily pond next to the swimming pool, bridging the two towers, offers a serene oasis amidst the bustling metropolis. Le Nouvel KLCC is a testament to sustainable architecture, blending nature seamlessly with modernity. 🌇🌿 #SustainableArchitecture #UrbanOasis #LeNouvelKLCC https://buff.ly/3XYyBTA Photos by Rusdi Ody Effandy, Wayne Williams

The Urban Farming Office in Ho Chi Minh City is designed to combat the effects of urbanization in Vietnam and reintroduce green space to the city while promoting safe food production. The Urban Farming Office boasts a lush facade overgrown with plant-life that acts as a shading device, filtering direct sunlight and purifying the air. A system of rainwater collection irrigates the hanging vegetation while naturally cooling the air through evaporation. The northern-facing walls are solid with small openings introduced to ensure cross-ventilation, an additional strategy for passive cooling. The ‘vertical farm’ employs simple construction methods, including a concrete and steel structure off of which modular planter boxes are suspended. Planter boxes are replaceable, providing flexibility in the arrangement of plants and sufficient sunlight. The system provides up to 190% of green ratio to the site area, which is equivalent to 1.1 tons of harvest. Various local edible plants, such as vegetable, herb, and fruit tree, are selected, contributing to the biodiversity of the region and maintained with organic treatment methods. Vo Trong Nghia Architects has created an inspiring space that reconnects with the natural roots of its site, addressing the impact of urbanization while contributing to the sustainable future of the city. Congratulations to VTN on this impressive accomplishment! #UrbanFarmingOffice #VoTrongNghiaArchitects #GreenArchitecture #SustainableDesign #Vietnam #HoChiMinhCity https://buff.ly/3JtukjP

The Kaktus Towers in Copenhagen are named Best High Rise in Europe at the annual Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Conference🏆 Situated on an elevated green plateau - a floating public park with views to lively Vesterbro and the Harbor - the Kaktus towers rise up to 80 meters in height. Each of the 495 residences, arrayed around a central core, feature custom designed interiors and private terraces. Generously spaced, multilevel common areas have access to terraces and the green roof, with amenities such as an outdoor kitchen and barbecue areas, laundry room, café, indoor and outdoor fitness spaces. At the base, a commercial plaza connects to the stream of pedestrians emerging from the nearby Dybbølsbro train station. Rather than a typical tower - a repetitive structure of stacked floor slabs - the Kaktus Towers twist at each level to provide unique perspectives for each of the units. The towers are an exercise in economical construction, wherein the cost effective repetition of skewed floor slabs not only results in an optimal net to gross ratio, but also a striking architectural expression. Source: Big Builds. Design Team: @ctbuh_hq for the honors and Catella, Per Høpfner, Artelia Group, @lm_byg_as, @reformcph, @malmoslandskaber, Geopartner Landinspektører, El Team Fyn, @hbschack_dk 📸 by @laurianghinitoiu, @rasmus_hjortshoj, Catella

Roof gardens have a significant role to play in greening our cities, providing vital new habitats and enhancing urban hashtag#biodiversity. And the design for Battersea Power Station shows how beautiful this can be. The planting – a glorious mix of grasses, verbena, red-hot pokers and so much more – is vivid and thriving, even early on a cloudy summer’s morning. When every inch of green space is crucial, these gardens demonstrate how innovative design can weave nature into the fabric of our cities. Repost: LDA Design Credit: LDA Design Benjamin Walker Tom McCreesh Rob Charlton James Turner Syreen Monshi Ross Schaffer and more. Film: Benjamin Walker and Rob Charlton #BatterseaPowerStation #London #Biodiversity #LandscapeArchitecture #LandscapeDesign #Regeneration #BetterCity

This is what a #ChristmasTree🎄 in the wild looks like underground. All of those roots are storing carbon— "The Earth’s soils contain about 2,500 gigatons of carbon—that’s more than three times the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and four times the amount stored in all living plants and animals." The world's soils are the best #CarbonSink we have— it's estimated that over a 10-year lifespan, a Christmas tree may accumulate around 18 kg of CO₂. Note: there are a variety of species used as Christmas Trees across the world, this is just one example. Image Source: https://buff.ly/478ERKl (Pinus Sylvestris). Kutschera, L.; Lichtenegger, E., "Wurzelatlas mitteleuropäischer Waldbäume und Sträucher". - Graz, Stuttgart : Leopold Stocker Verlag, 2002 (2. Aufl. 2013). - 604 p. #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateChange #ClimateAction Quote source: https://buff.ly/42Vsu1L

🏞️ Highlighting the Transformative Design of Fish Tail Park: A Biophilic Approach to Urban Ecology Fish Tail Park, located in the heart of Nanchang, integrates innovative biophilic design with critical ecological functions, converting a once-degraded site into a vibrant natural sanctuary. Previously impacted by coal ash dumping and fish farms, the park now serves as a vital flood mitigation system and a cornerstone of China’s Sponge City initiative, restoring local habitats and enriching urban life. Key design features include: 🌊 Floating Forest Habitat: At the park’s core lies an expansive “floating forest” spanning 3.8 million square feet, comprised of 68 islands. Half of these islands are designated as protected wildlife areas, minimizing human impact while fostering biodiversity. Native pond cypress trees—selected for their resilience in submerged conditions—are planted across this area to naturally filter water and bolster the park’s flood-retention capacity. 🌱 Restored Soil Landscapes: To support sustainability, approximately 80,000 cubic meters of coal ash were remediated and mixed with new soil, creating topographical features reminiscent of Aztec Chinampa-style gardens. The park’s northern region offers trails along these landforms, allowing visitors to explore an ecologically enriched landscape crafted from repurposed materials. 🌿 Connected Green Space: Thoughtfully designed pathways provide access to nature at both the park’s core and urban peripheries, blending city life with natural immersion. Sculptural aluminum bridges, canopies, and viewing towers offer unobstructed vistas and inviting shelters, framing the floating forest and open waters for visitors. 🌳 Recreational and Urban Integration: The park’s sports areas, playgrounds, and café are strategically placed at the urban edges to promote community engagement, while an elevated café and 110-ft viewing tower provide panoramic views over the floating forest and Aixi Lake. Fish Tail Park stands as a beacon of biophilic and resilient design, demonstrating how cities can restore degraded landscapes, enhance biodiversity, and engage urban communities with nature. #BiophilicDesign #UrbanEcology #SustainableArchitecture #SpongeCity Wang, Yujia, and Humaid Al Hinai. “Fish Tail Park.” Landscape Performance Series. Landscape Architecture Foundation, 2023. https://buff.ly/3YJM5BN

🌿 Designing an Elevated Retreat: The Garden at 120 on London’s Skyline The Garden at 120, the City of London’s largest public rooftop garden, brings biophilic design to new heights atop 120 Fenchurch Avenue. This award-winning rooftop garden, recognized with the Yuanye Award (Gold), Green Good Design Award, and City Skyline Award, exemplifies how biophilic design transforms urban architecture into an inviting public retreat. Key design features include: 🍃 Crystalline Form and Green Architecture: Inspired by the building’s architectural language, the garden integrates crystalline shapes into its planting beds, water features, and pathways, creating a unique and cohesive visual identity. Even the Yorkstone paving—aligned with ground-level footways—reflects the public nature of this rooftop sanctuary. 🌳 Sculpted Landscape and Pergola Structure: A dynamic, elevated landscape is achieved by folding the floor to create distinct height levels, facilitating natural drainage and varied visitor experiences. At the garden’s heart, a pergola on the 15th floor is designed to support wisteria vines, providing shade and framing iconic London views. Built with a specialized substrate under the paving, the structure supports lush, healthy growth while concealing air intakes, seamlessly blending technical functionality with natural beauty. 💧 Reflective Water Basin and Green Walls: A water basin defines seating areas, adding calmness and natural cooling, while the sky’s reflection brings a peaceful ambiance. Integrated green walls enclose the rooftop facilities, offering cozy seating nooks and visually enriching the space. #BiophilicDesign #RooftopGarden #SustainableArchitecture #CityOfLondon #londonrooftops #londonviews #explorelondon #londonskyline #familydayout #freethingstodoinlondon #thegardenat120 #londonlife #visitlondon #cityoflondon #placestovisitinlondon #londonplaces #weekendvibes #cityviews #londra #travel #traveldestination #viaggiare

🌨️❄️ WINTER IS COMING ❄️🌨️ Every winter, the fresh snow unveils the true nature of our streets and roads—over-designed for cars, making them faster and more dangerous. It also reveals the immense potential to reclaim space for people and public life. Let's embrace the power of snow to reshape our urban landscapes! ❄️🏙️ 🚸 Have you heard of 'sneckdowns'? It's a fascinating urban design concept where planners leverage snowfall to observe how roads are used by cars and identify unused spaces that can be repurposed for pedestrians. This principle can be applied to public spaces, helping us understand how citizens navigate and interact with their environment. 👇 Check out this fantastic animation and example of a sneckdown created by Oto Ozols! Let's harness the power of snow to drive positive change in our streets, public spaces, and workplaces. ❄️💼