ABSTRACT
Chapter 6: Integrating Biodiversity into the Built Environment discusses how it is imperative that our society begin considering ways that are socially, environmentally, and economically acceptable for integrating biodiversity and ecological systems into the already-built built environment through rehabilitation processes, in addition to implementing these strategies in new development. The chapter considers integrating biophilic design, a hypothesis first proposed by Edward O. Wilson (1984) in Biophilia, with the practice of built environment rehabilitation and adaptive reuse. Biophilic design is the creation of built environments that foster symbiotic relationships between people and other organisms. It is more than simple green building because what is being proposed requires a deep understanding of the interdependence between natural and cultural heritage of any given locality, something that many architects and planners do not often have. Biophilic design is something that humans have engaged in historically, and some contemporary new construction projects seek to address. Various UNESCO World Heritage sites will be used to look at biophilia’s role in built heritage. In all aspects, understanding the interdependence of natural and cultural heritage of any given locality is essential. An essential paradigm shift, an example of which is offered in this chapter, must occur in respect to our use of materials of the built environment.
