Inspired by: Ephemeral stream systems and forest finger ecology
B+H Architects
190%
PM10 removal vs. traditional
higher particulate removal
172%
BTU reduction vs. traditional
higher thermal performance
183%
TSS removal vs. traditional
higher sediment filtration
The Problem
Conventional development destroys existing ecological function, paves over natural drainage patterns, fragments forests, and creates impervious landscapes that worsen flooding, heat islands, and biodiversity loss. There is no standard practice for measuring whether a development improves or degrades its site.
A 200-hectare mixed-use master plan in Ontario that restores dried ephemeral streams and integrates forest fingers into the urban fabric, achieving measurably higher ecological performance than both pre-design conditions and traditional development.
The New Lowell Living Village is a 200-hectare mixed-use master plan that prioritises nature by letting the land dictate design. The site analysis revealed ancient ephemeral streams—dried up from decades of paving, agriculture, and development—that once fed a significant wetland. These dried tributaries became the scars that guided the entire master plan. The design focuses on restoring these wetlands from their current industrial farming context, fitting the form of the master plan to their function. The design integrates 'forest fingers'—extensions of an adjacent forest that reach into the urban fabric—to support natural regeneration and connect fragmented ecosystems. The village also focuses on ecological patches that enhance village-scale principles of community and resource sharing. To measure whether the design is truly regenerative, the team determined the ecological performance of several metrics including O2 production, CO2 sequestering, air purification, 25-year storm event retention, and temperature regulation. The results showed improvements on all accounts over the existing pre-design landscape and significantly outperformed a traditional development scenario: 190% higher PM10 removal, 172% higher BTU reduction, and 183% higher TSS removal compared to conventional design. The community would also produce food for 235 residents, 182 kg of compost, and water capture for 1,731 people.
Biomimicry Breakdown
How Ephemeral stream systems and forest finger ecology translates into New Lowell Living Village: Letting the Land Dictate Design
Find your own nature-inspired opportunities
Inspired by New Lowell Living Village: Letting the Land Dictate Design? The Biomimicry Opportunity Map scans your company website and suggests challenges worth solving the way nature would.
Get started →Apply This
Forests and tree ecosystems
Vincent Callebaut Architectures designs biomimetic buildings that function like living ecosystems. Vertical forests integrate vegetation into building structure, mimicking forest ecology while providing insulation, air purification, and aesthetic benefits.
Sensitive plants (Mimosa pudica), circulatory systems, solar-optimising leaf arrangements
A 20,000 m² self-heated, self-cooled, and self-ventilated commercial building in Switzerland whose footprint was generated through genetic algorithm optimisation mimicking nature's solar collection strategies, with adaptive facades inspired by sensitive plants and decentralised heat distribution like a circulatory system.
Biosphere and living ecosystems
A living, breathing office building concept by Chain10 Architecture that integrates biological systems and ecosystem functions into building design.
There's a natural world to explore