The document discusses several principles of ecological design including environmental ethics, the triple bottom line of social equity, environmental impact, and financial reward. It provides examples of green building projects like Dockside Green in Vancouver, BC, which used brownfield redevelopment, vegetated systems, wastewater reuse, and renewable energy. Other case studies discussed include the Harvard Blackstone Renovation and the California Academy of Sciences roof habitat project. Design criteria for ecological reference, balanced capacity, and sustainable yield are also outlined.

1. Ecological Design Principles

2. ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
endangered species
global climate change
human survival
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
social equity
environmental impact
financial reward

3. HUMAN CONTEXT

5. Green Building
Dockside Green: Vancouver BC

6. Green Building
Dockside Green: Vancouver BC
 Brownfield Site
 Vegetated Architectural Systems
 Sustainable Stormwater Management
 100% Reuse of wastewater for industrial process
 Biodiesel plant on the site; tenants encouraged to use diesel vehicles
 Biomass Energy Generation
 LEED Platinum
 7+ environmental awards

7. Green Building
Dockside Green: Vancouver BC

8. HARVARD BLACKSTONE RENOVATION
cogeneration & building systems monitoring
 University Operation Services, Registered LEED Gold
 Energy: heat recovery system, daylight sensors, occupant sensors,
CF bulbs, LED, cool roof, geothermal/valence heat system
 Innovative Site Design: bioswale, NO irrigation, permeable paving
 Construction Waste: 99.5% diverted from landfill
 Low VOC finishes
 Daylight and views for 90% of occupants, operable windows
 Bamboo
 Natural Linoleum

9. HARVARD BLACKSTONE RENOVATION
cogeneration & building systems monitoring

10. Ecology of Place
Sound Attenuation

11. HABITAT CREATION

12. Conservation

13. CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
•197,000 sq. feet of Roof Area
• Five Undulating Domes
• Slopes in excess of 60 degrees
• Six inches of Soil Depth
• Diverse Native Plant Community
• Observation Deck

15. CASE STUDY : C.A.S.

16. 

17. temperate freshwater chianampa
Chinampa is a method of ancient Mesoamerican agriculture which
used small, rectangle-shaped areas of fertile arable land to grow
crops on the shallow lake.

18. BIOMIMICRY

19. MICROTOPOGRAPHY increases BIODIVERSITY

20. Rhypark, Basel, Switzerland
Architect: Stadtgärtnerei Basel
Year: 1987
Natural Analogue: Dry Meadow
Roof Size: 1615 sq.ft.
Roof Slope: 1.5%
NATURALIZED ROOFS
EUROPEAN PRECEDENT slide courtesy rana creek

21. HERON’S HEAD PARK

22. S
HERON’S HEAD PARK

23. Literacy for Environmental Justice at Heron’s Head Park

25. NATIVE SYSTEMS

26. EDUCATION

28. PERMACULTURE APPROACH

30. MATERIALS

31. Living Roofs-Desert Climates

32. Arkin Tilt Architects

33. ECOLOGICAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES

34. PRINCIPLE DESIGN CRITERIA
“If we are sensitive to the nuances of place, we can inhabit
Solutions Grow from
without destroying.”
Place
“Trace the environmental impacts of existing or proposed
Ecological designs. Use this information to determine the most
Accounting Informs ecologically sound design possibility.”
Design
“Engaging in processes that regenerate rather than deplete.”
Design With Nature
“As people work together to heal their places, they also heal
Everyone is a themselves.”
Designer
“De-natured environments ignore our need and our potential
Make Nature Visible for learning.”
ECOLOGICAL DESIGN: Sim van der Rynn/Stuart Co

35. 1. Insist on rights of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and
sustainable condition.
2. Recognize interdependence. Expand design considerations to recognizing even distant
effects.
3. Consider all aspects of human settlement including community, dwelling, industry and
trade in terms of existing and evolving connections between spiritual and material
consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being,
the viability of natural systems and their right to co-exist.
5. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance or potential danger
due to the careless creation of products, processes or standards.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and
processes, to approach the state of natural systems, in which there is no waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows. Incorporate energy efficiently and safely for responsible
use.
8. Understand the limitations of design. No design solves all problems. Treat nature as a
model and mentor, not as an inconvenience to be controlled.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge, and re-establish the integral
relationship between natural processes and human activity.

36. PRINCIPLE DESIGN CRITERIA
Use indigenous plants, adapted to local environmental
Ecological
conditions, provide wildlife habitat.
Reference
Landscape in balance with nutrient availability, rainfall, and
Balanced seasonal growing requirements of plants.
Capacity
Plant material selection is based on adaptation to seasonal
Adaptation & climatic variation and soil conditions.
Performance
Self sustaining, self regenerative, and self transcending and
Sustainable adapting. Do not rely on the abundance of irrigation, fertilizers,
Yield and maintenance. Contain healthy soils with active biological
activity.
Hydrologic
Cycle Integration of site and structure by capturing, storing, reusing,
and conveying of storm water to and through the ground plane
landscape.

38. Special Thanks to the following
for Photos and Design Principles
ECOLOGICAL DESIGN: Josiah Cain
ECOLOGICAL DESIGN: Sim van der Rynn/Stuart Cowen
RANA CREEK: Paul Kephart/Restoration View
HANOVER PRINCIPLES: Wm. McDonough