Designing for Biodiversity

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth.¹ Research shows that only 50.3% of our natural biodiversity is estimated to remain and it continues to decline.² The latest State of Nature report shows that 1 in 6 UK species are now at threat of extinction and we have seen an average decline of 19% of all animal and plant species since 1970, which is when records began.³ These shocking statistics are evidenced in the RSPB’s report showing we have lost more than 40 million birds from the UK skies in the past 50 years. ⁴ Healthy ecosystems are critical to sustaining life on earth, their loss will not only exacerbate the impacts of climate change but also have profound impacts on food production, the economy, and human well-being.

Ecosystem decline has largely been driven by the loss of natural habitats due to intensive agriculture, extensive resource extraction, and increased urban land use. With urban expansion and the depletion of rural species projected to continue, cities are becoming our fastest growing habitats.⁵ It is critical that we improve biodiversity in urban developments to reduce the continued biodiversity loss, and limit the impacts of climate change.

As architects and designers, we play a significant role in providing more wild spaces and designing our buildings to allow ecosystems to thrive. By improving biodiversity in urban areas, we in turn make our cities more resilient to climate change, we improve people’s access to nature and their well-being, and we start to positively change our societal values against the growing disconnect with nature.

The necessary shift towards ecological regeneration in architecture was the basis for my Master’s thesis project at The University of Sheffield, which was nominated for the 2023 AJ Student Sustainability Prize. The ‘Biodiversity Action Hub’ is intended as a provocation to rewilding our urban environments, through protecting nature in brownfield sites while building places for communities to learn and (re)connect with the natural world. The basis imagines a local group with ambitions to protect and connect a series of brownfield sites along the River Maun in Mansfield, creating a wildlife corridor through the town which is then allowed to grow into a rich natural habitat.

The focus of the project is the ‘Hub’ itself, a series of community buildings created to facilitate the regeneration of the wild sites. Built on stilts to protect the landscape beneath, they are constructed with bio-based materials, grown and processed on-site in the workshop. A portable plant nursery kick starts the growth of plants that are planted on site or distributed to visitors. Central meeting spaces allow the group to build community through organising re-wilding missions and socialising.

As the wildlife grows over time, so does the Biodiversity Action Hub. Immersive and sensory teaching spaces are built as habitats within the landscape, educating visitors about the importance of wildlife and how they can personally help improve biodiversity. Boardwalks and hides offer people a chance to observe and experience the ever-changing landscape. Visiting and passing members of the public watch the wildlife flourish over time, encouraging them to become invested in the wider biodiversity movement.

The architecture is proposed to be temporary. Habitat façades are weaved from living willow into bird nests and rich pockets designed to accommodate a diversity of wildlife in the buildings. The thatched roofs of the classroom are supported by driftwood and fallen trees with fungi still growing within. Clay sourced during the restoration of the river is used to render the internal walls. The floor is exposed earth, allowing plans to grow and animals to burrow.

These buildings flourish into rich habitats as the action group move onto the next rewilding site along the river. Nature inhabits the buildings long after human occupation until ultimately, they decay and become part of the ecosystem. The site is conserved as a local wild space, intended to be enjoyed by all inhabitants.

The urgent need to address the biodiversity crisis in the UK is clear. As urban areas continue to expand, they present both challenges and opportunities for biodiversity. Architecture and nature should not be divorced, restricted to green walls, courtyards, and pocket parks. Nature needs to be integrated within architecture and entangled with every threshold.

By reimagining our relationship with nature and prioritising ecological regeneration in our built environments, we can work towards reversing biodiversity loss, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and creating more sustainable, liveable cities for both humans and wildlife. We can engage in building our own connectedness with nature, improving our awareness of ecosystems when designing. This will allow us to find creative solutions in alignment with nature.

Wild spaces improve the quality of life for humans and the quantity of life for non-humans. We simply need to make more space to allow all life to thrive together.