Biophilia, or love for life and nature, inspires architects around the world to create spaces that deeply connect with natural elements. These architectural projects seek to reintroduce nature into built environments, resulting in spaces that promote well-being, health, inspiration, and even productivity. In Brazil, the possibilities are even broader, given the country's exuberant climate and the vegetation found in various biomes. In this article, we will explore seven projects from different programs that embrace this concept and allow for a symbiosis between architecture, humans, and nature.
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Biophilia in Brazilian Contemporary Architecture in 7 Projects
Henning Larsen Reveals Design for Smyril Line's New Headquarters and Ferry Terminal in Torshavn, Faroe Islands
Henning Larsen has just revealed the design for Smyril Line's new headquarters and ferry terminal in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. The building pays homage to traditional Faroese fishing boats and the historic Eastern harbor while embracing the picturesque backdrop of abundant landscapes and open seas. The new headquarters serves three functions: a ferry terminal, an office building, and a logistics center.
The Complex Culture of Nightrise in Jabal ‘Amil, Lebanon
As farmers water crops by moonlight, undocumented children head to school and villagers scan the sky for surveillance airplanes—these are glimpses of a complex culture that emerges in south Lebanon after dark. In collecting some of these nightly practices, Mohamad Nahleh—lecturer in architecture and urbanism at MIT—journeyed across the landscapes of Jabal ‘Amil hoping to build a new alliance between architecture and the night. His "Path of Nightrise" research has turned into a construction to revive a forgotten river path and was published by Places Journal. The interview with Nahleh argues for a new nocturnal imagination in design and reveals, not only how the night has changed in Lebanon over time, but also how he has changed alongside it.
Courtyards in Peruvian Houses: 10 Projects and their Floor Plans
With the exception of some areas, within the three principal regions of Peru--coastal, mountain, and rainforest--the climate is characterized as tropical or subtropical and the differences in summer and winter temperatures is minimal, rarely reaching beyond 15 °C and 27 °C. This mild climate has thinned the line between exterior and interior spaces, a fact evident in the region's architecture.
Abandoned Airport near Athens, Greece, Set to be Transformed into Europe’s Largest Coastal Park
The Athens International Airport was decommissioned in 2001, leading to two decades of work for the local government to establish funding and a governance mechanism to transform the 600 acres of unused space into Europe’s largest coastal park. The site has a layered history, from prehistoric settlements to the construction of the airport in the 20th century and the site being used for as an Olympic venue in 2004. Architecture office Sasaki is leading the design to transform the site again and create the Ellinikon Metropolitan Park, a restorative landscape and climate-positive design that will serve as a park, playground, and cultural center for the city of Athens. Developers are planning to break ground early next year.
Nature-based Protection Against Storm Surges
“Superstorm Sandy in 2012 was a wake-up call for NYC and made the city realize it needed to better prepare for climate change,” said Adrian Smith, FASLA, vice president at ASLA and team leader of Staten Island capital projects with NYC Parks. Due to storm surges from Sandy, “several people in Staten Island perished, and millions in property damage were sustained.”
On the 10th anniversary of Sandy, Smith, along with Pippa Brashear, ASLA, principal at SCAPE, and Donna Walcavage, FASLA, principal at Stantec, explained how designing with nature can lead to more resilient shoreline communities. During Climate Week NYC, they walked an online crowd of hundreds through two interconnected projects on the southwestern end of the island: Living Breakwaters and its companion on land — the Tottenville Shoreline Protection Project.
MVRDV Wins Competition to Design Nature-Inspired Oasis Towers in Nanjing
MVRDV has won a competition to design a mixed-use residential and commercial complex on the edge of Jiangbei New Area’s Financial District in Nanjing, China. Dubbed "Oasis Towers", the two 150-metre-tall towers are surrounded by lush landscapes, and will provide residents a green haven within a dense and rapidly developing part of the city.
15 Contemporary Projects that Emphasize the Sounds of Nature
Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa once said that "architecture is essentially an extension of nature into the man-made realm, providing the ground for perception and the horizon of experiencing and understanding the world."
In the constant hustle and bustle of the modern surroundings, it is more than needed to take a step back and listen to the sounds of something as calmly powerful as nature. Moreover, listening to the beautiful harmonies created by birds chirping and sound waves can make our inner voice louder as well.