Vol. 10 Presenter: Erin English
Presenting
Biophilic Design + Water: Creating Healthy Healing Infrastructure
Summary
Biophilia, “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life”, as defined by E.O. Wilson, the famous biologist and author, is a way of exploring our innate attraction to nature and natural forms, water, and living things. Biophilic design is the application of this understanding to the built environment, our buildings, and more recently, our infrastructure. According to Terrapin Bright Green, innovators in biophilic design and sustainability consulting, “biophilic design can reduce stress, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, improve our well-being and expedite healing;” as the world population continues to urbanize, these qualities are ever more important.
Erin will share recent and ongoing work applying biophilic design to water infrastructure, featuring nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment and water reuse. Erin’s career has been focused on the nexus of water and ecology and living systems, to create not only healthy, clean water but also inspirational and healing spaces that integrate site, building and water-systems strategies.
This presentation features a variety of case studies of AIA COTE Top 10, Living Building Challenge and award-winning landmark projects with innovative water solutions. As water efficiency becomes increasingly vital, especially in the arid southwest, biophilic design represents a way for us to remain mindful of the beauty, power and inspiration in working with water.
Bio
As a Practice Leader Erin leads Biohabitats’ visionary Integrated Water Strategies planning & engineering efforts. She is based in the Santa Fe offices of Biohabitats, a national consulting firm dedicated to ecological restoration, conservation planning and regenerative design. She combines her background in chemical and environmental engineering with her passion for water, ecology, and regenerative design to help clients advance innovation in One Water-oriented infrastructure planning and design. She has led wastewater, greywater, rainwater and water reuse-engineering for award-winning projects that have achieved the Living Building Challenge™, Net Zero Water, and that most importantly, at their core embrace the value of water and watershed-thinking. Her 17 years of experience include numerous landmark high-performance building projects that prioritize water reuse, five of which have been awarded AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 recognition.