Ecolopes to promote urban bio-diversity

Building with an ecological envelope

The scientists argue that the promotion of biological diversity has to become an important driving force in architectonic design. This will require a transformation of the previous design principles in architecture, which are meant to address both human and non-human requirements. "In addition to human beings, architecture also has to integrate the needs of other organisms such as animals, plants and even microorganisms as additional clients," says Ferdinand Ludwig, Professor for Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture at TUM.

This new approach to design entails challenges both for architecture and for ecology, since a multi-species design goes beyond the existing approaches found in architecture and ecology. The new design approach now allows the integration of ecological knowledge in the architectonic design process.
 
In order to create a multi-species habitat, the researchers propose designing buildings with an "Ecolope", a building envelope designed according to several criteria which takes the needs of various organisms into account. In designing an ecosystem like this in a multi-species design process, the researchers utilize findings from ecology, architecture and computational design.

Building envelopes are thus no longer to be regarded as a primary separating level between inside and outside, but rather as an innovative architectonic space designed as a gradual transition between inside and outside, utilized jointly by a large number of life forms. The "Ecolope" can be a planted  facade or a planted roof functioning as a part of the surrounding ecosystem and as a space used jointly by humans, animals, plants and microorganisms, thus constantly changing. "It permits processes like the succession of plant and animal habitats as well as erosion and the accretion of material like dust, which helps in soil formation. These processes have to be integrated in the design process," observes Prof. Ludwig. "Architectures designed with a multi-species approach, i.e. an approach integrating a number of different species, can be an important step towards creating advantageous relationships between humans and nature in cities. These architectures increase human well-being in the city and help preserve biological diversity," says Prof. Weisser.