Biophilia is an ecosystemic structure that allows the revitalization of dead urban areas on account of the integration of species through its modules. Its application permits the reduction of pollution levels in overcrowded cities and enables socio-ecological education in everyday life, giving rise to new cities and sustainable systems.
Cross-border/international
Spain
Spain
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Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
The effectiveness of the project starts with the biophilic transition plan. It is important to understand that the biophilic transition plan begins with Biophilia. This means that the trajectory of this initiative is a long-term plan, which allows far collaborative research and solution design over the years. The structure is based on a parametric design that grants the project global adaptability and infinite possibilities on an aesthetic-structural level. This means that thanks to its variable parameters, it is possible to give rise to an infinity of ecosystemic structures by exchanging its parameters. The design methodology permits the introduction of new manufacturing methods, specifically 3D printing. This typology of materialization makes it possible to introduce new complex structural forms for the use and regeneration of cities. In addition, its entirely comprised of circular materials, thus promoting the initiative of a regenerative design. Furthermore, the structure is designed from a series of modules with different specific functionalities depending on the species to which it is directed. There are 5 types: domus, chrysalis, plantae, edulis and lumen. Domus was designed for the survival and refuge of different types of solitary insects in the city. Chrysalids were thought of as a shelter for several insects to metamorphose safely. The plantae module has the ability to capture carbon dioxide and attract pollinators. Edulis, the most innovative one, contains a biomaterial whose formula, after extensive research and experimentation, was found to act as a food supplement to attract and nourish pollinating species. Finally, Lumen attracts various types of insects at night depending on the color that the light is set to, and with it, the benefits of the selected species. Biophilia offers different innovative items within each area, but the most significant and the one that perfectly encapsulates the pursued values in general, is that it is a living project
Biophilic Transition Plan
Parametric Design
Inclusive Manufacturing Process
Recyclables and Biomaterials
Socio Ecological Literacy
Some of the problems that I wanted to address through the project are the lack of vitality in cities due to gentrification, the constant increase in pollution and the lack of sensitivity to life. Regarding the first problem, the decision was made to work on existing cities and urbanism, and not to give utopian solutions on how we can create a sustainable city from scratch, but how we can improve through what is built. Therefore, Biophilia becomes a sustainable project plan. The production process generates much less negative impact on people's health and the environment. It also ensures safety and good working conditions during production and assembly. We are sitting very close to climate catastrophe and massive loss of biodiversity, so functional, rapid and sustainable solutions are needed. This also falls in line with the second problem. Pollution in cities is fueled by many factors that derive from today's lifestyle, which is why the project was designed from start to finish so as not to produce any negative consequences on a social, economic and environmental level.To ensure this triple impact, Biophilia addresses the threat of biodiversity loss by reintegrating local fauna and flora into cities. This is possible due to the introduction of a new methodology of design and manufacturing processes that enables new economic investment opportunities and a cultural paradigm shift
Finally, the lack of sensitivity towards the living is one of the greatest problems undervalued by the human being. It is necessary to implement environment-oriented values in order to achieve socio-ecological literacy. It is also paramount to begin a biophilic transition in cities that will eventually lead to new cultures with a more conscientious worldview. For this reason, Biophilia is intended as a starting point for public utility, achieving socio-ecological education in everyday life and generating a feeling of value for life and the co-evolution of species.
As previously mentioned, biophilia is a living project. Thanks to its parametric design, the structural set is variable and re-designable. With just a slight variation of parameters or the implementation of new ones, the ecosystemic structure is both versatile and customizable when it comes to implementing it in a city. This allows the aesthetics of the structure to be aligned with local interests, thus respecting the design decision of each community.
Additionally, what makes the project unique is its inclusiveness, that is, the integration of species into the community. It is important to remember that the fauna and flora is different in each city, so biophilia in Madrid, Spain, differs from Tallinn, Estonia. This allows each structure to be a unique ecosystem, with colors and textures given by its local species. Most importantly, it creates a network of connections that learns, shares and protects the life that surrounds it, globally. A very important point of the project is its publicly accessible. What Biophilia seeks is to take the first step, through design and investigation, to transform cities into biophilic cities. Biophilia represents an important antidote to the boredom and sameness that otherwise characterizes much of our built form and lives. It helps evolve current cities to an outdoor city in which residents spend time enjoying the biological magic and wonder around them. In biophilic cities, residents care about nature and work on its behalf locally and globally.
Biophilia was born out of the lack of inclusivity in cities, specifically the lack of inclusivity towards species other than humans. The need to include plant and animal species in our communities, especially large cities, is what Biophilia seeks to convey to those who come into contact with the project. The focus of the project goes beyond planting green trees to renaturalize cities. It seeks to make visible that we are not alone and spaces that might at first seem vacant or empty are indeed not. To achieve this, the structure is publicly accessible, so that in everyday life, citizens can understand that our well-being is based on the co-dependence between species.
On the other hand, Biophilia allows the initiation of a cross-disciplinary collaboration network between different disciplines. As it is a project where design, biology, engineering, and many other professions coexist, it can be considered that Biophilia gives rise to collaboration between people from different occupations, instead of the segmentation of these.
At the same time, the manufacturing process of this project, which is mostly 3d printing, can be considered inclusive. FabLabs are well known within the creative disciplines, but globally these spaces are an unknown quantity. This situation has made possible the waste of collaborations or projects that could work for the greater good. For this reason, Biophilia includes FabLabs manufacturing processes to give visibility to their powerful possibilities. Within the European Union, there are more than 500 FabLabs, thus being able to cover most cities with local production and making it an inclusive and sustainable project.
The affordability of the project is quite flexible in relation to the needs of each locality. The investment benefit of Biophilia is that it is much more economical than, for example, the implementation of a 2 hectare park, and can bring the same benefits.
The benefit of implementing Biophilia goes beyond civil society. First of all, people within a city where Biophilia is deployed will enjoy social and environmental benefits, such as increased life expectancy and the gain of value for living things.At the same time, coming into daily contact with this project allows citizens to be ethically involved with living species, thus initiating a new and more sensitive culture that cares for biodiversity, giving rise to a cosmovision of life.On the other hand, the city itself benefits from the project. Biophilia not only brings greater healthiness, nourishing experiences, color and learning, but also generates an environment of safety and collaborative preservation that helps to see the city as a home to care for.Furthermore, the installation of Biophilia is directed to surfaces perpendicular to the ground, thus contributing to promote the disuse of soils due to the high density of land occupation in cities. This allows Biophilia to be built at any size (due to its variable parameters) and on any side, benefiting the city as it does not occupy roads that may hinder the life of citizens.On the contrary, plant and animal species that migrate to cities thanks to Biophilia, have a place to call home. From the Domus and Chrysalis modules, which are intended for the shelter of insects and pollinators, to Plantae and Edulis, which serve as food for their safe survival. Besides, the integration of insects into the city brings balance and maintenance in ecosystems and they help pollination to occur. This without forgetting that most plant species depend on insects, so Biophilia can be considered a self-sufficient structure. In the end, Biophilia seeks to generate qualities of wonder and fascination, the ability to nurture a deep personal connection and involvement, a commitment to something larger than ourselves and beyond ourselves, because this connection offers the potential to give meaning to life that few other things can offer.
At the local level, the city and its inhabitants can be considered direct participants in Biophilia. First and foremost, the project is focused on the revitalization and sanitation of cities, and thus of their inhabitants. All social, economic and environmental benefits directly and indirectly affect both. For example, the fact of installing an ecosystemic structure in a corresponding area, allows not only to sustainably regenerate an area and implant a new mentality in its local people, but also generates an attractive environment for others who do not live nearby, generating new business opportunities related to the initiative.
Without regional collaboration, Biophilia could not be the project it is. For the biophilic transition to work effectively and empathetically with all species, the support of multiple regions is necessary. As the placement of structures are phased from more abundant green spaces to less abundant green spaces throughout a city, it is critical that participation is maintained and respected.
On the other hand, at the national level, participation and collaboration is vital for the functioning of Biophilia. This is mainly due to the study of fauna and flora. Depending on each country, the design or components of Biophilia may vary since its adaptation to the environment is another important aspect for its operation. This is one of the reasons why the parametric design of this structure was chosen.
Finally, the importance of integrating this project throughout the European Union was solved thanks to the accessibility of its fabrication. The study and discovery of FabLabs locations around Europe, allows the possibility of Biophilia to spread smoothly and enable a community interested in biophilic cities.
The development of Biophilia involved exchanges of information between different disciplines to ensure its effectiveness. The dialogue took place between biologists from different departments: Biodiversity and Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change, as well as Botanists. The contribution from the world of biology was fundamental to understanding how species function in the urban environment. Thanks to the collaboration of this specialty, it was possible to design a biophilic transition plan with effective bases for the ethical emigration of species and their maintenance within the Biophilia.
On the other hand, contact was made with an artistic researcher whose contribution was essential for subsequent design decisions. Her contribution helped reach the conclusion that if we are dealing with the concept of life, it was necessary that the structure also be alive. In other words, the initial decision point on employing parametric design is based on the concept of showing life through all possible aspects of the project, and in this case, the structure.
In addition, discussions were held with architects for the assembly of the structure. Being a perpendicular installation to the ground, it was necessary to know how to do it in a safe way to prevent accidents. Being a highly complex decision, it was decided to give a general assembly approach that works on most surfaces. However, it is necessary to make a previous study of the surface on which Biophilia is to be installed in order to start from the plan presented and adapt it according to the conditions.
Finally, product designers were present throughout the process to design the production plan in FabLabs. Also, a specialist in sustainable systems was also present to encompass and maintain all of Biophilia's approaches aligned with the sustainable goals that were set from the beginning. This allowed Biophilia to become a largely sustainable project by having each and every one of the phases involved in a project.
The problems addressed in the project, such as the lack of vitality in cities due to gentrification, are often solved, for example, by implementing more green areas in cities. This is not to say that these are inadequate solutions. However, there are many metropolises that do not have the space or budget to opt for them. Biophilia allows, as an innovative project, to adapt to surfaces that are already built and occupy spaces without hindering months of work, daily routines of the inhabitants,...
On the other hand, there is always a tendency to give importance to plant species as defenders against the climate crisis. Biophilia aims to give visibility to the importance of animal species (in this case insects) as equally fundamental. Through this representation, we begin to implement a new view of insects instead of the repulsive and frightening one we usually have.
Another point is the implementation of a new design methodology. The use of parametric design which, simplifying to the maximum, is a file where you can easily vary the parameters and create infinite possibilities of structural form in terms of shape, thickness and depth, is a breakthrough for the design and its globalization. This allows a single project to be extrapolated to any community, city or country quickly. The benefit of Biophilia is that it is a project whose participants have the opportunity to make it their own without the need for months of waiting or dependence on a single entity.
On the other hand, Biophilia provides the opportunity for the use of new manufacturing methods and new materials, which are equally necessary to meet environmental goals. The fact that within this structure there is a biomaterial that serves as a food supplement for insects shows that there is much more research to be done to achieve safe solutions for the maintenance and care of biodiversity in cities.
As mentioned in previous sections, the thinking and design behind Biophilia allows it to be replicated, transferred and adapted to those sites that wish to be part of the biophilic transition initiative. It is true that the implementation of this project varies depending on factors, such as fauna and flora, that condition the appearance and distribution of the structure. But this is the sheer magic of the project. Within something designed to be applied anywhere, it is also customizable, thus generating a set of authentic and personal structures in each participating location.
The advantage here is that the vast majority of the European Union consists of more than 500 FabLabs, making it the first continent to implement the transition plan to biophilic cities. This not only favors local production, but in the event that a city does not have the resources to implement the project, the carbon footprint emitted for production and transportation is minimal compared to current manufacturing processes.
The possibility of this happening allows to motivate other continents to create spaces for the implementation of Biophilia and to be part of it. Forming an international network linked to the care of new cities while preserving as much as possible of what already exists and including the collaboration of different disciplines and inclusivity of species, is one of the phrases that can best summarize the concept of Biophilia
Going into more detail, if we look at the project from the beginning, the biophilic transition plan process is replicable since at some point in the cities there are green areas from which insects can migrate to the structure. The design of the structure is variable in a file, so having computers to design the structure is achievable. The setting of the modules is easily achievable through a book of instructions. Finally, fabrication relies on having FabLabs, or contacting the nearest one.
Among all the global challenges we are facing, Biophilia has its greatest impact at the infrastructural, population and environmental levels. Through Biophilia, polluting industrial processes are censored and a new method is introduced. In addition to modernizing the current infrastructure, this project presents sustainable industrial processes. These new production methods promote cleaner and more environmentally friendly technologies and manufacturing processes.
On the other hand, the exposure of citizens to current air pollution in cities can be counteracted with the implementation of Biophilia. This project not only promotes inclusive, sustainable and universally accessible urbanism, but also gives visibility and teaches about the protection of natural heritage. In turn, its implementation helps to reduce the negative environmental impact caused by cities.
In other words, Biophilia involves the human species, the main threat to the natural environment, in recovering the loss of biodiversity. It commits citizens to take care and learn to cohabit in a respectful way with plant and animal species, allowing us to restore all the damage we have caused.
In relation to the above, the process of creating and manufacturing Biophilia also incorporates favorable measures of strategy and planning to combat climate change. In addition, the presence of this project in cities raises human awareness of climate change and biodiversity loss. Finally, Biophilia gives rise to the implementation of effective management for the production of living, collaborative and regenerative projects.
