Ecological Design

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” Rachel Carson

What do we mean by "Ecological Design?" Here we unpack the term and our interpretation of it. We begin with some definitions.

Definition of ecology, Merriam-Webster.1: a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments2: the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment3: HUMAN ECOLOGY4: ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE// the moral ecologyalso : an often delicate or intricate system or complex// the ecology of language
Definition of design, Merriam-Webster.1a: a particular purpose or intention held in view by an individual or groupb: deliberate purposive planning2: a mental project or scheme in which means to an end are laid down3a: a deliberate undercover project or scheme : PLOTbdesigns plural : aggressive or evil intent —used with on or against4: a preliminary sketch or outline showing the main features of something to be executed5a: an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding.b: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something.also : the process of preparing this6: the arrangement of elements or details in a product or work of art7: a decorative pattern8: the creative art of executing aesthetic or functional designs

We define design as a process of creativity and experimentation with the intent of shaping a desired outcome. It involves a free flow of ideas that can achieve their greatest potential when conjured collaboratively in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Anyone can be a designer- there are no prerequisites for engaging in this process. Design is often used to describe the profession of architecture; we are interested in the design of ecological technology and art.

Ecology is a discipline that deals with the relationships between organisms and the environment. An ecosystem itself is "the complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological unit." For us, the takeaways from ecology and ecosystem thinking are attention to nature as a living system of interrelated elements, with attention to both the intricacy of relations and to the totality of the whole.

When we refer to ecological design, we call attention to the relationship of a design- a human process- to the natural environment, living and nonliving organisms, with a focus on both complexity and holism. Ecological design goes beyond sustainability- "a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged" to think about rebalancing human-nature relationships in all of their complexity. It considers not microcosms, but thinks holistically about technical and cultural systems required to achieve such an end.