Dimitra Theochari

This thesis deals with the monastery design in already named Sacred Space within our modern society. The basic objective of the design process is the management of basic the elements of nature: EARTH - WATER – WIND. Basic designing concepts are the concepts of escalating volumes of repetition of architectural elements, creating a variety of volumes, designing through analogy settlement, composing from scratch a complex demand- master plan that always retains a realistic perspective, and managing open spaces that work together with the buildings and enlarge their uses. Details have been studied and specific plants have been pre-defined throughout the owned land by the monastery. Finally, in order to achieve the complete master plan, smaller phases are defined.

The objective of this review paper is to survey the state of the art on nature-based solutions (NBS) in the built environment, which can contribute to a circular economy (CE) and counter the negative impacts of urbanization through the provision of ecosystem services. NBS are discussed here at three different levels: (i) green building materials, including biocomposites with plant-based aggregates; (ii) green building systems, employed for the greening of buildings by incorporating vegetation in their envelope; and (iii) green building sites, emphasizing the value of vegetated open spaces and water-sensitive urban design. After introducing the central concepts of NBS and CE as they are manifested in the built environment, we examine the impacts of urban development and the historical use of materials, systems and sites which can offer solutions to these problems. In the central section of the paper we present a series of case studies illustrating the development and implementation o...

Within the built environment, a shift is occurring in the sustainable agenda from a narrow focus on improving building energy performance and minimisation of environmental impacts, to a broader framework. The latest is defined as Regenerative, as it embraces and adapts the built environment and its infrastructures to climate change, placing the urban ecosystem and the people at the core of the design task. Whereas the theoretical level of Regenerative Design is defined, the potential benefits of nature-based solutions and technologies are seldom exploited in practice. Implementing Regenerative design at the urban scale means to integrate solutions for energy transition, sustainable water management, human comfort and health, food security. The proposed contribution, developed under the framework of the ongoing COST Action CA 16114 RESTORE 'REthinking Sustainability TOwards a Regenerative Economy', presents the multidisciplinary challenges of exploring adaptive regenerative urban design through a selection of case studies that deploy nature-based technologies and solutions. The focus is on evidence-based design vis-à-vis the achievement of resilient, healthy and inclusive urban landscapes.

Water in the city is typically exploited in a linear process, in which most of it is polluted, treated, and discharged; during this process, valuable nutrients are lost in the treatment process instead of being cycled back and used in urban agriculture or green space. The purpose of this paper is to advance a new paradigm to close water cycles in cities via the implementation of nature-based solutions units (NBS_u), with a particular focus on building greening elements, such as green roofs (GRs) and vertical greening systems (VGS). The hypothesis is that such “circular systems” can provide substantial ecosystem services and minimize environmental degradation. Our method is twofold: we first examine these systems from a life-cycle point of view, assessing not only the inputs of conventional and alternative materials, but the ongoing input of water that is required for irrigation. Secondly, the evapotranspiration performance of VGS in Copenhagen, Berlin, Lisbon, Rome, Istanbul, and Te...

Problem to resolve: One formerly most important European harbours lost its economic base and turned into costly brown field land The context Just 30 years ago, Cardiff Bay was dead-both environmentally and economically. For decades, the two rivers that feed into the bay-the Taff and the Ely-had been so black with coal dust, sewage and industrial waste that no fish could survive. Nearby mines that once exported one-third of the world's coal through Cardiff's port had shut down. So had steel factories, put out of business by cheaper foreign competition. Cardiff, whose center lies a mile inland, turned its back on the decrepit port and befouled bay. But over time, the Welsh capital has gone to great lengths to clean up both its water and its waterfront. Tourists and locals alike now swarm the dockside known as Mermaid Quay, while salmon once again swim in the bay and run up the rivers to spawn. Cardiff Bay is no longer seen as an embarrassment. Rather, it's an amenity to paddle on, eat by and live near-a new locus for residential , commercial and retail development for a growing city-region of 1.4 million people. Today this city's bayfront is often packed with people: families boarding tour boats, office workers enjoying a waterside lunch, theatergoers out strolling before a performance, and fans of the TV show Doctor Who emerging from tours of the BBC studios where the series is made. How that transformation happened is an instructive story for any city struggling with polluted waterways. It's also a reminder of how urban regeneration over the long run requires public and private forces to come together around a common goal.

Without water, there is no life. Global climate change, urbanisation, and increasing demand of limited resources are all magnifying challenges in contemporary societies. In this reality, water is of critical importance - finite, indispensable and under threat. Now as never before, an integrated approach to city design has become a necessity to reconcile the challenges of resource management, environmental protection and life quality for people. Tested and trusted conventional infrastructure systems are no longer dependable, safe or cost-effective solutions. Therefore the philosophy behind “water sensitive urban design” constitutes the next generation of urban infrastructure where habitat, city and recreational space merge into one, complete and indispensable strategic resource management task. The connectivity and networking of city public space as interactive, ecological infrastructure - publicly visible, technically simple, and always beautiful - is the basis for a future-oriented approach, to guarantee our healthy and sustainable urban future.

Within the built environment, a shift is occurring in the sustainable agenda from a narrow focus on improving building energy performance and minimisation of environmental impacts, to a broader framework. The latest is defined as Regenerative, as it embraces and adapts the built environment and its infrastructures to climate change, placing the urban ecosystem and the people at the core of the design task. Whereas the theoretical level of Regenerative Design is defined, the potential benefits of nature-based solutions and technologies are seldom exploited in practice. Implementing Regenerative design at the urban scale means to integrate solutions for energy transition, sustainable water management, human comfort and health, food security. The proposed contribution, developed under the framework of the ongoing COST Action CA 16114 RESTORE 'REthinking Sustainability TOwards a Regenerative Economy', presents the multidisciplinary challenges of exploring adaptive regenerative urban design through a selection of case studies that deploy nature-based technologies and solutions. The focus is on evidence-based design vis-à-vis the achievement of resilient, healthy and inclusive urban landscapes.

Mentioned in an article in Azzure Magazine by Tim Waterman

Across the globe, the number of major projects melding built forms with natural elements is growing every year. Besides the ecological benefits, landscape architect Tim Waterman writes, the trend’s most exciting aspect is the degree to which architects and landscape architects must co-operate. His advice for colleagues: Get set to break out of your silos.