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Mohit Rajiv Chaudhary, Andres De La Rocha, Christy Nilan
Moving forward, we should keep the following in mind:
Moving forward, we should keep the following in mind:
The different types of ecology and the importance of the study of the relationships between living organisms.
The types of environments and the importance of the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animals, plants, or other types of organisms.
Ecology and environments can be seen amongst different cultures worldwide.
When planning for social housing in Phoenix, it is important to consider the ecology, environment, and habitat of the place.
Ecology Types & Importance
Ecology Types & Importance
The study of the relationship between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level.
Understanding the Importance of Ecology
Understanding the Importance of Ecology
Understanding the importance of ecology, which consists of these items below, can help us avoid causing harmful effects on our environment.
Conservation of Environment - is essentially how our actions as humans affect the environment. The lack of understanding on our part has led to devastating effects like extinction and endangerment of certain species.
Resource Allocation - Some resources have become scarce, and the overuse or depletion of resources has led to competition.
Energy Conservation - When we as a society don’t pay attention to energy conservation, we overuse the resources such as light and nutrition and radiation ultimately leading to depletion. Proper knowledge of such depletion can help in future energy conservation efforts.
Eco-Friendliness - The goal is to encourage harmony and protect the ecology of life.
Environment Types & Importance
Environment Types & Importance
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
Environmental Importance
Environmental Importance
Our environments are responsible for:
Safety - condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury.
Well-being - State of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
Community - A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
Habitat
Habitat
A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits") is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animals, plants or other types of organisms.
What do these three animals that share a similar ecosystem as us have in common?
What do these three animals that share a similar ecosystem as us have in common?
The burrowing owl, fennec fox and meerkat would often build and/or occupy burrows underneath the desert soil to protect themselves from the environment.
A burrow is a tunnel or hole that an animal digs for habitation (a place to live) or as a temporary refuge (a place of protection).
Burrows provide shelter from predators and extreme temperatures. For these reasons, animals have used burrowing behavior for a very long time. As far as 100 million years ago with dinosaurs.
Burrows range in complexity from simple, short tubes to elaborate networks of connected chambers and tunnels. A meerkat burrow, for instance, can have as many as 90 entrances and be 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep. Mammals, especially, would often share their burrows with other mammals, creating a communal habitat.
We are not totally unfamiliar with sharing a necessity that can lead to forming a diverse communal space.
We are not totally unfamiliar with sharing a necessity that can lead to forming a diverse communal space.
Ecology & Environment in Culture
Ecology & Environment in Culture
The first North Americans are believed to have migrated from Siberia, in northeast Asia, by crossing a land bridge over the Bering Strait. These populations fanned out southward, to present-day Florida, California, Mexico, and Central America. Indigenous cultures shaped, and were shaped by, the geography of North America.
Native American Indians were originally nomadic, but American agriculture began about 5,000 BCE.
Native American Indians were originally nomadic, but American agriculture began about 5,000 BCE.
Agriculture was a big deal, because it allowed dense human settlements. And more often than not, these settlements would be in close proximity to water. Cultures throughout southern North America harvested corn, squash, and beans in regular cycles. This sort of agriculture allowed major civilizations to develop.
The environment also impacted the traditional beliefs and social structure of North American indigenous communities.
The environment also impacted the traditional beliefs and social structure of North American indigenous communities.
For instance, the Inuit, native to the Arctic, were deeply influenced by the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. They believed the amazing light displays were images of their family and friends in the afterlife, the souls of animals and spirits, and visual guides for hunting. Inuit also believed that all things have souls, and that spirits existed to protect those souls. By respecting the ecosystem (the living and nonliving things in an environment), Inuit communities aimed to maintain a balanced existence.
Ecology & Environment in Phoenix
Ecology & Environment in Phoenix
Similar ecosystems found around the globe at a same latitude: North Africa and the Middle East
1990
1990
2020
2020
Ecology and environment in context to phoenix - least sustainable city in the world - shortcomings - 30 years difference - urban sprawl - concrete jungle - heat island effect.
Temperature Rise
Temperature Rise
Temperature before 60 years did not cross above 90F | Rise in nighttime temperature by 10F | Urban Sprawl and concrete jungle causing heat island effect. | Lush green vegetation seen in the city | The elevated temperatures that are created by the Urban Heat Island effect have significant impacts on the health and well-being of the city | These impacts include increased energy consumption, elevated levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gasses, compromised human health and comfort, impaired water quality and increased water use | Increase the urban forest canopy coverage
Resources required to form such built environment to create communities that promote positive environment.
Resources required to form such built environment to create communities that promote positive environment.
What happens if and when the infrastructure fails in this Air-Conditioned City and how does it affect Housing?
What happens if and when the infrastructure fails in this Air-Conditioned City and how does it affect Housing?
Demographics
Demographics
There has been exponential growth in population in the last 30 years. More people are moving from different parts to settle here. Using these demographics we can determine how we can integrate ecology and environment for housing in phoenix.
Median Household Income across metro Phoenix; the darker the green, the higher the income.
Median Household Income across metro Phoenix; the darker the green, the higher the income.
Percent of people living in poverty across metro Phoenix; the darker the red, the higher the concentration of poverty.
Percent of people living in poverty across metro Phoenix; the darker the red, the higher the concentration of poverty.
Habitat in Phoenix
Habitat in Phoenix
Culdesac
Culdesac
One such case study example is that of Culdesac in tempe which is still in construction, it is a car free community. They have promised zero asphalt on their site. As you can see in the site plan there are a lot of open spaces. But the question here remains that in this harsh desert climate of phoenix, do these communities really want such spaces which are empty most of the time? What changes can be implemented so we can create a better environment inside the community and also in context to the site.
Hopes or Reality
Hopes or Reality
Are the open spaces or community areas utilised to full extent in this harsh environment? Steps to minimize heat island effect and promote healthy community living?
Moving on to a broader perspective in housing, we as architects tend to design such open spaces but in reality, they turn out to be dead spaces. Here i want to emphasize on what changes we can do as designers so that we can create an environment and ecology that promotes social growth and harmony in the community.
Sources:
Dougherty, Conor. “The Capital of Sprawl Gets a Radically Car-Free Neighborhood.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/31/business/culdesac-tempe-phoenix-sprawl.html#:~:text=Phoenix%2C%20that%20featureless%20and%20ever,will%20be%20swallowed%20by%20the.
“Cities for People Not Cars.” Culdesac, https://culdesac.com/.
clairekt615. “The Least Sustainable City: Phoenix as a Harbinger for Our Hot Future.” Grist, 14 June 2021, https://grist.org/climate-energy/the-least-sustainable-city-phoenix-as-a-harbinger-for-our-hot-future/.
“Phoenix, Arizona.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix,_Arizona.
“From Urban Grey to Urban Green.” NatureScot, https://www.nature.scot/urban-grey-urban-green.
Vedantu. “Types of Environment.” VEDANTU, Vedantu, 29 Nov. 2022, https://www.vedantu.com/biology/types-of-environment.
Ucl. “University College London.” UCL, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/.
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