Ecosystem Design
service > Embedding bio-power
Contact
Tom Bosschaert
Director
[javascript protected email address][javascript protected email address]
+31 10 7370215
Ecosystems are one of the largest untapped resources to our disposal. By designing and embedding smart ecosystems we can harvest valuable functional uses, increase the performance of buildings and cities, and design more inpsiring environments.
Except develops custom ecosystems for use in urban landscapes, agriculture, buildings and industry.
Can you 'design' an ecosystem?
Yes, ecosystems can be designed to perform a wide variety of functions by combining the necessary ingredients and materials, and tuning them to their environment. When developed and integrated well, ecosystems can have large beneficial effects on all environments.
Examples of ecosystems we have designed are:
- Edible rooftop gardens
- Urban water filtration systems
- Ecologically activated parklands and urban landscapes
- Urban redevelopment systems
- Ecological sound barriers & Indoor climate conditioning
- Social gathering and education functions
- Bio-fuel harvest parks
- High performance organic agriculture (Polydome)
Why use ecosystems for functions?
There are various reasons why you'd want to use an ecosystem to perform functional tasks. The most important reason is that ecosystems always have a large set of positive side effects.
- Unlike a machine that performs a single function, ecosystems can deliver all their benefits at the same time, and the more they're tapped into, the better they can work.
- This way they can deliver more value on the whole than mechanical systems.
- Also, they look amazing, people are strongly attracted to them, and they generally tend to increase the quality of living environments.
- When designed well, ecosystems last longer, are more resilient and perform better than any other solution.
How do you design an ecosystem?
We design ecosystems by bringing together biologists, ecologists, engineers and designers. Together they research the specific qualities that are needed for the local climate and functional conditions.
Based on this, we make a smart combination of plants, microorganisms, materials and design features to maximize the required qualities. The outputs can range among the following qualities, and beyond:
- Food production
- Water filtration and retention
- (Air) Particulate filters
- Social functions, gathering and tourism
- Education
- Energy generation
- Material fabrication (medical, construction, etc)
- Elevated concentration and health benefits
- Biodiversity increases
I want one!
Yes, we hear you, a lot of people are beginning to understand the power of beneficial ecosystems for their business, home, industry and cities.
If you want to start today, you can start small, for instance at home if you're the hands-on type with, for instance, a polyculture garden.
If you're looking for something more substantial, we can develop ecosystems up to the scale of cities with you to fit your particulate need.
Talk to us to find out how smart ecosystems may be a solution for you. Also take a look at Polydome, our custom high performence agriculture design system.
Examples
Polydome
Polydome is a revolutionary approach to greenhouse agriculture that offers the possibility of commercial scale, net-zero-impact food production. The Polydome system strategically interweaves a wide variety of crops and animals, taking advantage of every inch of the greenhouse while eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
With its high yields (60 – 90 kg per square meter), and diverse outputs (over 50 crops, two mushroom varieties, chickens, eggs, fish, and honey), even a small Polydome system can provide a richly varied food supply for a large population.
Shanghai Urban Masterplan
This project features a remarkably integrated design for downtown Shanghai: combining cutting edge sustainable design with exciting urban places, closed loop metabolism, urban agriculture and vertical farms, entrepreneurial opportunities and tight integration with social layers of the city.
The urban master plan concerns major parts of Shanghai, and focuses on a specific site, adjecent to Nanjing roads and featuring historic Lilong housing, as an example of its integrated sustainable development.
Sustainable Schiebroek-Zuid
Except developed a sustainabile conversion and development plan for the post-war social housing area Schiebroek-Zuid in Rotterdam.
The project provides a flexible and exemplary roadmap for converting the neighborhood into a self-sufficient and sustainable area. It applies innovative energy solutions, various urban farming methods, social and economic programmes, secondary currencies, and adaptive redevelopment strategies.
This project was commissioned by housing corporation Vestia and agricultural research network InnovatieNetwerk.
BKCity Slim Refurbishment
BKCity is a magnificent listed monument of more than 30.000m2 functioning as the faculty of Architecture of the TU Delft. Except created a phased plan to make this historic educational building energy and carbon neutral within ten years.
The plan converts the building into a didactic tool that puts sustainability at the heart of education for generations of architects, introducing a unique in-building ecosystem that provides an inspiring environment, functional qualities and cost savings.
Centrum: Spiritual Center
On the steep slope of one of the edges of Toronto’s ravine system a place for contemplation, introspection and shared spiritual expression was created.
A place with no prescribed belief, where people of all walks of life can experience what is sacred to them in their own way.
The project introduces a unique ecological approach to its site, significantly contributing to the ecosystem of Toronto’s ravine system.
Merredin Health Industries Spirulina Plant
The Merredin Spirulina plant, developed in the year 2000, is one of the first projects in which we applied systems thinking and our holistic, systemic approach to innovation, using ecology as a main component.
The result is a highly unusual but stunningly effective business case for a sustainable, ecological industry to revive a desert town in Australia.
This project is a testament to the strength of holistic, systemic approaches. For this reason, we documented the project extensively on this page, indluing the conception process, business case and design of the plant. For more detail, feel free to contact us.
Portal to Venlo
The Portal to Venlo offers the greenhouse industry in the east of the Netherlands a model to develop a sustainable industry. The project re-imagines an existing greenhouse industry area, currently fragmented, inefficient, dangerous for bicycle tourists that cross the area and in general rather unappealing.