Extrusion-based 3D Construction Printing (3DCP) involves developing novel material mixtures that incorporate local geo-materials. Given that clay minerals and silt are major causes of soil variability, this study focuses on the fine fraction of soil to facilitate purpose-oriented design, classification, and standardization. We begin with an overview of current research in the field and general information about clays. Subsequently, we establish an evaluation methodology, examining various clay–sand mix ratios, along with locally sourced material to gain general insights into the material’s clay-dependent macro-printability characteristics. The findings are then correlated and discussed in relation to the microcharacteristics of the clays, emphasizing the significance of both intraparticle and interparticle swelling for strength and cohesiveness. Factors such as swelling ability, and charge, which may be reflected by pH, are pivotal for strength; while the quantity of clay and its interparticle swelling ability, denoted by the plasticity index (PI), delineate cohesiveness, which is essential for pumpability and extrudability. Furthermore, the presence of organic material and other minerals is observed to have a significant impact on these properties.

Projected global rise in sea level and intensification of storms place the shoreline at risk, requiring extensive investment in coastal defence infrastructure. These structures are designed to efficiently dissipate wave energy at the expense of ecological and landscape values. The aim of the research is to establish a multifunctional approach to coastal infrastructure. Within this framework, it proposes a method for utilising simulation tools to creatively shape the interaction of sea waves with coastal structures for scenic and ecological benefits. It sets two primary goals: to establish that computational fluid dynamics tools can be used by architects to design the interaction of sea-waves with solid surfaces. This goal is explored by creating a digital simulation of a physical wave flume facility, and running physical experiments to calibrate the virtual simulation tool. Secondly, it uses these tools to systematically explore the range of possibilities latent in wave-structure interaction by initiating basic research into the flow properties of different types of textured surfaces to improve the aesthetic and ecological performance of such structures.

Urbanisation catalyses habitat loss, impacting humans and biodiversity. To mitigate this, the ECOLOPES research project proposes multispecies building envelopes that enhance ecosystem services provision through cohabitation. Initial envelope designs are optimized and evaluated with a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model informed by key performance indicators for human and nonhuman objectives. This paper proposes an architectural approach to derive indicator proxies for the plant stakeholders by adopting aspects of habitat suitability modelling by correlating environmental conditions with species functional traits. Using the hybrid decision-making model, we utilise these proxies to optimise multispecies objectives for a residential building envelope and evaluate the resulting alternative. This alternative is compared with one optimised using indicators inferred from general ecological correlations. Results show the effectiveness of applying the proposed habitat suitability approach in accounting for variations in plant trait values and improving multiobjective trade-offs for multispecies envelope design decision-making.

Population growth, urbanization, and climate change have significantly contributed to environmental degradation, posing severe consequences for humans and other species. By integrating ecological objectives with human-centric goals, a path towards a sustainable, multi-species future is possible. Current sustainable design principles have shown positive environmental impacts by addressing human-centric objectives such as enhancing green infrastructure, energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and more. However, the incorporation of multi-species design criteria remains unresolved. This paper proposes a conceptual framework in which human-centric and ecological design objectives are defined and associated through the selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) represented by numerical thresholds. But, while the objective-KPI relationship is an established path in architectural design, the same does not apply for preserving and promoting biodiversity. The proposed conceptual framework identifies, defines, and associates the relevant objective-KPI relationships for all stakeholders and becomes the basis for evaluating the project computationally. Such an approach is currently lacking.

This perspective paper explores the concept of multispecies design in architecture, focusing on the building scale. Historically, architects have prioritized human needs, neglecting nature’s integration in urban settings, leading to environmental and social challenges. To address these issues, a new multispecies approach that promotes the integration of ecological knowledge into architectural design has evolved. This paper aims to map existing concepts, challenges, and gaps in this novel multispecies approach, focusing on the building scale design process and suggests a roadmap for its implementation. This paper analyzes the existing literature and current architectural practices. This analysis is complemented by the findings from an architectural design studio that have highlighted real-world challenges not readily apparent in the literature. By promoting a multispecies architectural paradigm, this research not only underscores a transformative approach to building design but also positions multispecies design as an essential strategy in combatting the challenges of declining biodiversity and escalating climate change.

This study uses computer-aided design to improve the ecological and environmental sustainability of early-stage landscape designs. Urban expansion on open land and natural habitats has led to a decline in biodiversity and increased climate change impacts, affecting urban inhabitants' quality of life and well-being. While sustainability indicators have been employed to assess the performance of buildings and neighbourhoods, landscape designs' ecological and environmental sustainability has received comparatively less attention, particularly in early-design stages where applying sustainability approaches is impactful.,The authors propose a computation framework for evaluating key landscape sustainability indicators and providing real-time feedback to designers. The method integrates spatial indicators with widely recognized sustainability rating system credits. A specialized tool was developed for measuring biomass optimization, precipitation management and urban heat mitigation, and a proof-of-concept experiment tested the tool's effectiveness on three Mediterranean neighbourhood-level designs.,The results show a clear connection between the applied design strategy to the indicator behaviour. This connection enhances the ability to establish sustainability benchmarks for different types of landscape developments using parametric design.,The study allows non-expert designers to measure and embed landscape sustainability early in the design stages, thus lowering the entry level for incorporating biodiversity enhancement and climate mitigation approaches.,This study expands the parametric vocabulary for measuring landscape sustainability by introducing spatial ecosystem services and architectural sustainability indicators on a unified platform, enabling the integration of critical climate and biodiversity-loss solutions earlier in the development process.

Rapid urbanization negatively affects the built and biotic environment, necessitating interdisciplinary mitigation strategies. Current nature-based solutions that are integrated into building envelope design have proved to be beneficial. These solutions, however, are primarily anthropocentric and often overlook the potential to support other living organisms, such as animals and microbiota. Thus, a multi-species approach is envisioned to facilitate more holistic envelope-design solutions. While integrating ecological knowledge into architectural design often introduces decision-making complexity, multi-criteria decision-making can support multi-species building envelope design. This paper reviews such decision-making applications in two domains: building envelope design and ecological planning design. Using a systematic literature review methodology to compile relevant publications for full-text analysis, the results show significant disparities between the two domains. This is primarily driven by decision-making applications, the scale of analysis, criteria typology and external decision-maker engagement. However, we identified opportunities to sequentially employ multi-objective optimization and multi-attribute decision-making to mitigate the technical differences and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, we discuss future developments using hybrid multi-criteria decision-making to facilitate better architectural and ecological computer-aided design.

Anthropic activities negatively impact natural and artificial ecosystems, necessitating interdisciplinary mitigation strategies such as multi-species building envelope designs. This paper introduces a computational multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology to support these envelope designs. We also propose a nested set strategy for key performance indicators (KPI) to strategically measure architectural and ecological performances. We integrate the strategy into a proposed hybrid MCDM methodology using computational design tools. The methodology was tested using a generic volume case study described by an architectural and ecological objective with varied priorities. Initial results highlight the computational interoperability of hybrid MCDM, informed by nested KPI set priorities, as support for multi-species building envelope designs.

Research is revealing an increasing number of positive effects of nature for humans. At the same time, biodiversity in cities, where most humans live, is often low or in decline. Tangible solutions are needed to increase urban biodiversity. Architecture is a key discipline that has considerable influence on the built-up area of cities, thereby influencing urban biodiversity. In general, architects do not design for biodiversity. Conversely, urban conservation planning generally focuses on the limited space free of buildings and does not embrace architecture as an important discipline for the creation of urban green infrastructure. In this paper, we argue that the promotion of biodiversity needs to become a key driving force of architectural design. This requires a new multi-species design paradigm that considers both human and non-human needs. Such a design approach needs to maintain the standards of the architectural profession, including the aim to increase the well-being of humans in buildings. Yet, it also needs to add other stakeholders, organisms such as animals, plants and even microbiota. New buildings designed for humans and other inhabitants can then increase biodiversity in cities and also increase the benefits that humans can derive from close proximity to nature. We review the challenges that this new design approach poses for both architecture and ecology and show that multi-species-design goes beyond existing approaches in architecture and ecology. The new design approach needs to make ecological knowledge available to the architectural design process, enabling practitioners to find architectural solutions that can facilitate synergies from a multi-species perspective. We propose that a first step in creating such a multi-species habitat is the design of buildings with an ecolope, a multi criteria-designed building envelope that takes into account the needs of diverse organisms. Because there is no framework to design such an ecolope, we illustrate how multi-species design needs to draw on knowledge from ecology, as well as architecture, and design computation. We discuss how architectures designed via a multi-species approach can be an important step in establishing beneficial human–nature relationships in cities, and contribute to human well-being and biodiversity conservation.

The ability to measure socio-ecological indicators in early design models is essential for advancing goal-oriented sustainability designs and a stepping-stone towards the broad integration of high-performance urban development solutions. However, less attention has been given to measuring urban landscape development, specifically for ecological-environmental attributes in early design phases. Recent advancements in computation (dataset availability and coding assimilation) call for a re-evaluation of sustainability design practices in the urban-landscape realm. This study aims to advance urban landscape sustainability by suggesting a computation evaluation method and tool for early design phases.  It presents a framework for employing computer-aided design to evaluate sustainability performance in urban-landscape developments based on broadly adapted industry rating systems. The suggested method analyses and visualises the design's performance directly on the computation model, thus informing the designer about the sustainability performance early in the development phase. A computation tool for measuring ecological-environmental key performance indicators was developed and applied to three neighbourhood case studies, measuring each design twice: before and after using the computation tool. The case studies showed significant improvements in the design's performance in vegetation biomass optimisation, urban-heat mitigation, and precipitation management. The computation tool also provided ecological spatial metrics important for sustainability benchmarking.