Today I’m pleased to have the opportunity to share Architect Kaveh Samiei’s design for The Center for Ecological Learnings in Tehran. Following is a description of Kaveh’s design and drawings which he graciously provided. Thank you to Kaveh for sharing this wonderful project. Follow his writings on The Nature of Cities blog where he recently wrote the wonderful and detailed post, Architecture and Urban Ecosystems: From Segregation to Integration.
News Bringing natural life into buildings:: Eco-architect Dr Ken Yeang’s attempts to introduce more nature into architecture are highlighted in this article. “Many buildings have been ‘de-natured’. Human beings have simplified and fragmented nature.” Loft ambitions: why green roofs are the future of urban gardening:: This article from The Ecologist discusses the many benefits of green roofs. Do Wildlife Corridors Really Work?:: From the Smithsonian blog is a discussion about whether corridors actually work and a new crowd-sourcing project to find the answer. Citizen scientists vital for wildlife data collection:: A great article about how scientists rely heavily on their volunteer data …continue reading
News Bloomin’ lovely gardens brighten up London’s East End:: A competition for residents of London’s East End, the winners were chosen for showing “ what they can do with plants, wildlife and the environment.” Can biodiversity be accommodated in today’s urban environment?:: Posing the question, this piece from The Ecologist looks at recent efforts including the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 and the more recent Animal Estates project in London by Fritz Haeg. Yesterday’s pool is today’s pond:: An interesting idea of turning unused swimming pools into ponds for wildlife, making them require less maintenance and more environmentally friendly. Chicago Plans A …continue reading
News Vancouver Convention Centre roof a hive of insect and plant activity:: Three years on and the green roof of the Vancouver Convention Center has been greatly successful for wildlife housing ants, spiders, dragonflies, grasshoppers, bees and sparrows and finches. California Academy of Sciences’ roof is thriving:: Another green roof at three years old, the California Academy of Sciences’ roof has also become successful wildlife habitat including 173 species of arthropods including spiders, bees and butterflies as well as 30 species of birds such as Red-winged and Brewer’s Blackbirds. ‘Natural landscapes’ gone wild:: Yet another article on a subject which …continue reading
As the 2011 Integrated Habitats Design Competition is getting launched, I’m looking at the winning entries from the 2010 competition in a series of posts. Edge Hill Halls was the overall winner of the 2010 Integrated Habitats Design Competition. Designed by Maria-Cristina Banceanu, the site is a brownfield which previously accommodated a rail depot, the Edge Hill railway station, located in Liverpool. The design transforms this former rail depot into student housing for over 500 students complete with a greenhouse, underground parking, tennis courts, recreation area and a medical clinic. The former depot building is turned into the green house by enclosing the building which …continue reading
News Vacant lots: Urban decay or place to play?:: This article about vacant lots in Cleveland and how they are never really vacant due to the amount of plants and wildlife that inhabit them. Vaux’s Swifts and Ghetto Birds:: The Vaux’s Swifts continue to migrate down the west coast and are now creating a spectacle for visitors to downtown Los Angeles. San Francisco considers bird-friendly building codes:: San Francisco is looking into creating building codes aimed at making buildings bird-friendly, but unfortunately the city has not conducted any studies like other cities have to document the problem first. Making New …continue reading