Interspecies design

We now live in the “Anthropocene” era, which makes us think that this is how it has always been, and that human domination is the only way we can inhabit our planet. We usually refer to green architecture as a small patch of grass in front of our ten-story concrete buildings or as planting a few trees in a public space. In reality, our design approaches are human-centric and integrate nature in a purely visual way, still very empty of natural behavior, that I believe could offer immense ecological and social benefits. My key question is: Why do humans design only for themselves on a planet inhabited by many other species, especially in the face of a severe ecological crisis? And why don’t humans use nature in a comprehensive way to enhance their way of living? Interspecies design is a new collaborative approach in the architectural field that aims to use all the knowledge currently available to us, to design smarter solutions for both animals and humans, taking all species into equal consideration.

This paper explores how interspecies design can foster collaboration between architects, engineers, artists, and botanists in order to innovate the way we build, aligning with the conference theme “Convergence.” Through case studies, I analyze how collaborative architectural processes can produce new urban and architectural design solutions that provide “shelter” or “function” for more than just humans.