1 Building Ecology

Posted by Jhon Frie. Category: ARSITEKTUR

People and buildings are as intrinsically infused with nature as bees and their hives are with honey. Unfortunately the effects of our building industry are far less sweet. Unlike bees, whose produce is nourishing, the process of constructing and operating buildings often creates environmental outcomes that are not. Due to the non-ecological structure of the building industry and the historical lack of environmental awareness of many building professionals, the way buildings, built environments and the process of building have been created, has played a major role in the decline in Earth’s ecological health. Ecosystems are life-supporting systems and building that can be sustained by ecosystems rather than damage them is urgently required. The intent of this book therefore, is to provide a way of
extending the understanding of building from mere regard for the structure and material to include all of the natural systems with which all building is interdependent. It also extends the concept of the building professional from one who helps make a structure, to one who builds a system of relationships between ecosystems and human systems. In essence this book is designed as an introduction to a systems approach to thinking about building for people new to the fi eld of ecologically sustainable building.

Modern science is providing a far more detailed perspective of the way ecosystems function. This new knowledge is now beginning to be used by building professionals and the building industry in order to protect the life-supporting goods and services of ecosystems, and provide the basis for sustained life opportunity on Earth. Building Ecology presents approaches to gaining knowledge about the environmental infl uences of building in a holistic framework that helps students of building professions and practising professionals to:
• understand the interdependencies of buildings and nature;
• understand how building affects nature;

• understand what is and is not sustainable;
• understand how building can work with nature.

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