Architecture for Rewilding

Conservation tends to focus on maintaining an area or resource in its natural state and protecting it from human impact. Rewilding, on the other hand is a form of conservation that focuses on actions that take a place from an impacted state and transition it to a natural state, with or without the inclusion of human agency. This can include the reintroduction of species that have been eradicated or made extinct in specific areas, the restoration of natural habitats, and the creation of corridors to connect isolated protected areas. The goal of rewilding is to increase biodiversity, improve the resilience of ecosystems, and create landscapes that are self-sustainable. This approach often emphasizes minimal human intervention, allowing nature to heal and manage itself over time.

Rewilding is considered important in both natural and built environments, serving different but complementary purposes in each context.

In Natural Environments
The term architecture for rewilding for the natural environment refers to the strategic planning, design, and implementation of projects aimed at restoring and reconnecting natural landscapes that have been degraded, fragmented, or otherwise altered by human activity, to their original, biodiverse states. It emphasizes the restoration of ecosystems to a state of self-sustaining balance, often with minimal human intervention over time. The primary goals here include:

Strategic Ecosystem Restoration: This involves the careful planning and reintroduction of native species, removal of invasive species, and restoration of natural processes such as fire regimes, flooding, and natural predator-prey dynamics. The “architecture” in this context is metaphorical, referring to the design of a project that rebuilds the structural and functional aspects of ecosystems for biodiversity enhancement.
Landscape Connectivity: Creating corridors or bridges between fragmented habitats to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. This aspect of rewilding architecture aims to design landscapes that allow for the free movement of wildlife, facilitating natural migration, breeding, and foraging patterns that were disrupted by human activities.
Ecosystem Services Restoration: Revitalization of water systems by restoring rivers, wetlands, and other water systems to their natural states to improve water quality, support aquatic life, and mitigate flooding. This can involve the removal of dams, the reintroduction of native aquatic species, and the restoration of natural flood plains. Healthy ecosystems provide numerous other services, such air quality improvement, carbon sequestration, and soil fertility. Rewilding helps restore these functions.
Wilderness Protection and Expansion: Identifying and protecting wilderness areas that remain relatively untouched by human activity, and expanding these areas by restoring adjacent lands. The architecture of rewilding in this sense involves planning and creating buffer zones that reduce human impact on these core wilderness areas.
Coexistence of Humans and Wildlife: Designing rewilding projects that allow for the coexistence of human and wildlife populations in ways that are beneficial to both. This can include the development of sustainable tourism, community-based conservation efforts, and educational programs that foster a deeper understanding and respect for the natural world.
Resilience Building: By enhancing biodiversity and restoring natural processes, rewilding increases the resilience of ecosystems to climate change, disease, and other stresses.

In Built Environments
The “architecture for rewilding” refers to the integration of rewilding principles into architectural design and urban planning to support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the restoration of natural habitats within built environments. It involves integrating natural processes and biodiversity into cities and buildings, and encompasses a holistic approach to create healthier and more sustainable and resilient living spaces for humans while also supporting the health of local ecosystems and wildlife. Key aspects include:

Biodiversity Enhancement: The architecture for rewilding focuses on enhancing biodiversity within urban areas. This can be achieved through nature based solutions such as the use of native plant species in landscaping, creating green roofs and bio-receptive walls, and designing outdoor spaces that attract and support a variety of wildlife, including birds, insects, and small mammals.
Habitat Creation and Connectivity: This concept extends to creating new habitats for wildlife within urban settings and connecting fragmented natural habitats. It includes the development of green corridors, wildlife crossings, and other infrastructure that allow animals to move freely and safely across urban landscapes.
Community and Well-being: The architecture of for rewilding also considers the well-being of human communities, recognizing the importance of access to nature for mental and physical health. It promotes the creation of public spaces that offer opportunities for people to connect with nature in their daily lives.
Sustainable Urban Development: Designs are adaptive and resilient, capable of responding to changing environmental conditions and challenges such as climate change. This includes incorporating features that manage stormwater, reduce heat island effects, and promote ecological building practices, leading to more sustainable and resilient cities.