A regenerative housing ecosystem
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A new architecture project uses structures that are built to capture carbon, produce more energy than they consume and use resources in a circular way
Spotted: Amsterdam-based design group GG-loop has designed a new form of flexible, high-density urban housing that uses prefabricated timber and modules based on biophilic principle. The proposed project, named Mitosis, is scalable and modular, creating a regenerative housing ecosystem with a positive ecological footprint.
The project is named after the biological process of mitosis, in which a single cell divides into two identical cells. Similarly, the project uses modular construction to allow the creation of units ranging from a single off-grid house to an entire neighbourhood, which includes public spaces such as schools, leisure wellness centres and retail spaces.
The structures are built to capture carbon, to produce more energy than they consume and to use resources in a circular way. Outdoor areas are filled with both plant and animal life, allowing residents to reconnect with nature, while also offsetting the urban heat island effect and improving air quality. There will also be space for urban farming, while the terraced buildings let in ample natural light.
The structures are also designed to improve the local biodiversity by recreating ecosystems appropriate to the climate in which they are constructed. According to GG-loop: “Mitosis adopts the 14 principles of biophilic design and articulates the relationships between nature, human biology, and the design of the built environment. Its construction is organic and flexible, providing large areas of urban and vertical farming, greenhouses, wildlife corridors, and integration of habitat creation, that encourage shared outdoor activities among residents.”
Springwise has eagerly followed a number of innovative design projects designed to be both sustainable and to incorporate the natural environment. These have included a university that transformed a rooftop into an organic farm and a translucent barn that promotes animal welfare.
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