Remediation Architecture - A Spatial Approach to Bioremediation

10.26686/wgtn.14463804.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lewis Ellison

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Built Environment ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Spatial Arrangement ◽

Research Approach ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Brownfield Sites ◽

Regenerative Development ◽

Brownfield Site

Phenomena such as industrialisation and urbanisation are associated with the built environment. Both contribute to pollution of urban soil, water and air in various ways. This in turn contributes in part to climate change and biodiversity loss. It is therefore the responsibility of the built environment, and the professionals associated with its design and functioning, to remediate the aforementioned effects. This research investigates the spatial arrangement of bioremediation techniques (the process of using fungus, bacteria, and plants to break down and purify environmental pollutants) within architecture in order to remediate brownfield sites to a state where they contribute to a regenerative built environment. This investigation utilises a design-led research approach of examining the spatial arrangement of bioremediation techniques within architecture and proposes a series of design interventions at one of New Zealand’s most contaminated sites. This research proposes practical methods of applying restoration design to remediate brownfield sites to move towards a regenerative development model. The land and waterways that make up brownfield sites should be celebrated for their ecological significance, and remediated, rather than ignored so as to build positive human-nature relationships. Research findings include that bioremediation and architecture cannot exist separately if brownfield site remediation and development is to contribute to a regenerative built environment. It is critical to use architecture itself as one means of educating users about the ecological processes of brownfield site bioremediation. This is important in order to establish a stewardship role within individuals and local communities as a way to work towards the protection and successful restoration of these degraded sites. This research also found that the restoration of brownfield sites towards regenerative development requires architecture and built environment infrastructure to be adaptive to future climate change conditions. The bioremediation techniques examined in this research could be used to retrofit existing buildings and designed into new additions and/or retrofits so that architecture can adapt to climate change impacts, particularly sea-level rise and increased storm surge.

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Spatial Phylogenetics, Biogeographical Patterns and Conservation Implications of the Endemic Flora of Crete (Aegean, Greece) under Climate Change Scenarios

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology9080199 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis ◽

Ioannis P. Kokkoris ◽

Maria Panitsa ◽

Panayiotis Trigas ◽

Arne Strid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Spatial Configuration ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Biotic Homogenization ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Conservation Prioritization ◽

Conservation Implications ◽

The Impact

Human-induced biodiversity loss has been accelerating since the industrial revolution. The climate change impacts will severely alter the biodiversity and biogeographical patterns at all scales, leading to biotic homogenization. Due to underfunding, a climate smart, conservation-prioritization scheme is needed to optimize species protection. Spatial phylogenetics enable the identification of endemism centers and provide valuable insights regarding the eco-evolutionary and conservation value, as well as the biogeographical origin of a given area. Many studies exist regarding the conservation prioritization of mainland areas, yet none has assessed how climate change might alter the biodiversity and biogeographical patterns of an island biodiversity hotspot. Thus, we conducted a phylogenetically informed, conservation prioritization study dealing with the effects of climate change on Crete’s plant diversity and biogeographical patterns. Using several macroecological analyses, we identified the current and future endemism centers and assessed the impact of climate change on the biogeographical patterns in Crete. The highlands of Cretan mountains have served as both diversity cradles and museums, due to their stable climate and high topographical heterogeneity, providing important ecosystem services. Historical processes seem to have driven diversification and endemic species distribution in Crete. Due to the changing climate and the subsequent biotic homogenization, Crete’s unique bioregionalization, which strongly reminiscent the spatial configuration of the Pliocene/Pleistocene Cretan paleo-islands, will drastically change. The emergence of the ‘Anthropocene’ era calls for the prioritization of biodiversity-rich areas, serving as mixed-endemism centers, with high overlaps among protected areas and climatic refugia.

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Climate Change Adaptation Measures for Buildings—A Scoping Review

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12051721 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1721 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anna Eknes Stagrum ◽

Erlend Andenæs ◽

Tore Kvande ◽

Jardar Lohne

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Built Environment ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Climate Scenarios ◽

Successful Operation ◽

Scientific Publications ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

General Studies

As the climate changes globally and locally, the built environment will be subject to different climatic exposure than in the past. Adaptation measures are required to ensure the long-term integrity and successful operation of the built environment. This study examines literature on climate adaptation measures for buildings through a scoping literature review. It is centered around the main journals in the field of climate adaptation of the built environment, then expanded to map the extent of scientific publications about climate adaptation in general. Studies that regard future climate scenarios have been of particular interest. The majority of the identified literature concerns climate change impacts on buildings in warm climates, with overheating being seen as the greatest challenge. Additionally, few empirical studies are found; most identified research is based on computer simulations or literature reviews. The volume of research on the consequences of climate change on buildings in cold regions is surprisingly small, considering the pecuniary stakes involved. The predictions of climate scenarios suggest regulatory/policy measures on climate adaptation should be taken as quickly as possible to avoid greater costs in the future. However, further research into future scenarios is also essential.

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Preparing for climate change impacts in Norway's built environment

Building Research & Information ◽

10.1080/0961321032000097629 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 31 (3-4) ◽

pp. 200-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Kim Robert Lisø ◽

Guro Aandahl ◽

Siri Eriksen ◽

Knut Alfsen

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Built Environment ◽

Climate Change Impacts

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Biomimicry for regenerative built environments: mapping design strategies for producing ecosystem services

10.26686/wgtn.14863311.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maibritt Pedersen Zari ◽

Katarina Hecht

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Built Environment ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

Built Environments ◽

Wide Spread ◽

Design Strategies ◽

Ecological Performance ◽

Key Barrier

Built environment professionals must solve urgent and complex problems related to mitigating and adapting to climate change and biodiversity loss. Cities require redesign and retrofit so they can become complex systems that create rather than diminish ecological and societal health. One way to do this is to strategically design buildings and cities to generate and provide ecosystem services. This is an aspect of biomimicry, where whole ecosystems and their functions are emulated, in order to positively shift the ecological performance of buildings and urban settings. A small number of methodologies and frameworks for ecosystem services design have been proposed, but their use is not wide spread. A key barrier is the lack of translational work between ecology concepts and practical examples of ecosystem services design for a built environment context. In response, this paper presents research underpinning the creation of a qualitative relational diagram in an online interactive format that relates ecosystem services concepts to design strategies, concepts, technologies, and case studies in a format for use by built environment professionals. The paper concludes that buildings and whole cities should be expected to become active contributors to socio-ecological systems because, as the diagram shows, many strategies and technologies to enable this already exist.

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Biomimicry for Regenerative Built Environments: Mapping Design Strategies for Producing Ecosystem Services

Biomimetics ◽

10.3390/biomimetics5020018 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 18

Author(s):

Maibritt Pedersen Zari ◽

Katharina Hecht

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Built Environment ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

Built Environments ◽

Wide Spread ◽

Design Strategies ◽

Ecological Performance ◽

Key Barrier

Built environment professionals must solve urgent and complex problems related to mitigating and adapting to climate change and biodiversity loss. Cities require redesign and retrofit so they can become complex systems that create rather than diminish ecological and societal health. One way to do this is to strategically design buildings and cities to generate and provide ecosystem services. This is an aspect of biomimicry, where whole ecosystems and their functions are emulated, in order to positively shift the ecological performance of buildings and urban settings. A small number of methodologies and frameworks for ecosystem services design have been proposed, but their use is not wide spread. A key barrier is the lack of translational work between ecology concepts and practical examples of ecosystem services design for a built environment context. In response, this paper presents research underpinning the creation of a qualitative relational diagram in an online interactive format that relates ecosystem services concepts to design strategies, concepts, technologies, and case studies in a format for use by built environment professionals. The paper concludes that buildings and whole cities should be expected to become active contributors to socio-ecological systems because, as the diagram shows, many strategies and technologies to enable this already exist.

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Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas

10.4018/978-1-6684-3686-8.ch028 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 578-602

Author(s):

Hanane Boutaj ◽

Aicha Moumni ◽

Oumayma Nassiri ◽

Abdelhak Ouled Aitouna

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Vegetation Type ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Local Extinctions ◽

Ecological Tourism ◽

Biodiversity Decline ◽

Semi Arid

Considerable attention has been paid to climate change and its impacts on biodiversity. The climate change has caused several problems such as continuous ecosystem degradation and a resultant biodiversity decline. In addition, climate warming has a range of indirect effects through changes in vegetation type level and sea that affect physical and biological systems. This has also led to changes in the distribution of species, as well as reductions in the size of populations, or even local extinctions of these populations. Moreover, many species are disappearing with time due to climate change combined with the emergence of disease that develops and increases with time. These problems affect different biodiversity components that are close to collapse. This chapter explored the richness of biodiversity in arid and semi-arid zones. It is also illuminates the effects of climate change on distribution of biodiversity. The authors highlight the responses of biodiversity under climate change, in terms of species extinction, biodiversity loss, and the impacts of climate change to ecological tourism. Finally, the authors show how biodiversity can overcome the effect of climate change, by developing some systems that allow to them to survive and conservation of species and ecosystems.

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Climate Change Impacts on the Built Environment in Nigeria

African Research Review ◽

10.4314/afrrev.v7i4.18 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 288

Author(s):

ACC Ezeabasili ◽

AU Okonkwo

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Built Environment ◽

Climate Change Impacts

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Biomimicry for regenerative built environments: mapping design strategies for producing ecosystem services (Keynote)

10.26686/wgtn.14863305.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maibritt Pedersen Zari

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Built Environment ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

Built Environments ◽

Wide Spread ◽

Design Strategies ◽

Ecological Performance ◽

Key Barrier

Built environment professionals must solve urgent and complex problems related to mitigating and adapting to climate change and biodiversity loss. Cities require redesign and retrofit so they can become complex systems that create rather than diminish ecological and societal health. One way to do this is to strategically design buildings and cities to generate and provide ecosystem services. This is an aspect of biomimicry, where whole ecosystems and their functions are emulated, in order to positively shift the ecological performance of buildings and urban settings. A small number of methodologies and frameworks for ecosystem services design have been proposed, but their use is not wide spread. A key barrier is the lack of translational work between ecology concepts and practical examples of ecosystem services design for a built environment context. In response, this paper presents research underpinning the creation of a qualitative relational diagram in an online interactive format that relates ecosystem services concepts to design strategies, concepts, technologies, and case studies in a format for use by built environment professionals. The paper concludes that buildings and whole cities should be expected to become active contributors to socio-ecological systems because, as the diagram shows, many strategies and technologies to enable this already exist.

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Ecosystem Services Analysis for the Design of Regenerative Urban Built Environments

10.26686/wgtn.17000722 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Maibritt Pedersen Zari

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Built Environment ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Performance Outcomes ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Built Environments ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Regenerative Design

Humans will need to mitigate the causes of, and adapt to climate change and the loss of biodiversity, as the now inevitable impacts of these changes become more apparent and demand urgent responses. The built environment cannot solve these issues alone. Because it contributes significantly to these problems however, and because it is the main site of cultural and economic activities, it could potentially make a contribution to addressing these problems. Typical built environment focused responses to climate change and biodiversity issues are inadequate given the urgency and scale of the predicted impacts. They tend not to take advantage of the interconnected nature of the causes and effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. Aiming for ‘neutral’ environmental impact buildings in terms of energy, carbon, waste or water sets worthwhile and difficult targets. It is becoming clear however, that built environments may need to go beyond having little negative environmental impact in the future, to having positive environmental benefits. Regenerative design could be useful in this regard because it works to mitigate the causes of climate change and ecosystem degradation (and therefore biodiversity loss). Regenerative design ideally increases the health of ecosystems and resilience to change by utilising the mutually reinforcing aspects of mitigation, adaptation and restoration strategies. The goal of the research is to identify whether regenerative design is possible in urban settings, and to determine where key leverage points for system change may be within the built environment. Regenerative design is in need of further definition and exploration, and lacks quantitative evidence of its potential either by monitoring of built examples, or basic theoretical measurements. Regenerative design literature suggests that mimicking organisms or ecosystems could be an important part of such an approach to design. This is often termed ‘biomimicry’. The concept and practice of biomimicry is also in need of critical investigation for its potential contribution to increased sustainability outcomes. Different kinds of biomimicry exist in terms of type, underlying motivation, and environmental performance outcomes. The thesis examines current understandings of ecological systems in relation to the built environment, and aims to define an ecosystem biomimetic theory for the practical application of regenerative design in urban environments. In order to do this, ecosystem services are examined and potential key ecosystem services that are applicable to a built environment context are identified. The research primarily investigates one area of human knowledge (ecology and biology) for its transferable applicability to another (the urban built environment). Finally, the research determines how such theory could be practically applied to urban and architectural design and tests this through conducting a case study of an existing urban environment. It is posited that the incorporation of an understanding of the living world into architectural and urban design may be a step towards the creation of a built environment that is more sustainable or potentially regenerative, and one where the potential for restoration of natural carbon cycles is increased. Practical examples of this are given in chapter five. The outcome of such an endeavour depends on the wider context that the built environment is situated in, including the time left for action to be taken before the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss become extreme, and the inability of the dominant global financial system to allow rapid and widespread action to occur that effectively addresses these issues.

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