AccScience Publishing / JCAU / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/jcau.1084
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Ecological thinking in regenerative architecture: Relevance of abduction in ecoLogic Studio’s Deep Green research project

Xiao Wang1 Claudia Pasquero1,2,3*
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1 Synthetic Landscape Lab, IOUD, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria
2 Urban Morphogenesis Laboratory, the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, London, United Kingdom
3 ecoLogicStudio, London, United Kingdom
Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism 2024, 6(1), 1084 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1084
Submitted: 15 June 2023 | Accepted: 20 September 2023 | Published: 19 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regenerative Architecture)
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

This article explores the connotations of regenerative architecture in the context of the Anthropocene, emphasizing the role of abduction on human cognition and its potential impact on innovation, especially when applied to a bio-cybernetic design method. The DeepGreen research project, developed by ecoLogicStudio in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck and the Bartlett UCL, serves as an exemplification of this method. The project combines biological and artificial intelligence to create an urban ecological infrastructure that integrates architectural and ecological systems. Centering on the DeepGreen project, this study discusses the creative potential and ecological embodiment of bio-cybernetic design protocols. It focuses on the mechanism of abduction in triggering innovative design solutions from a logical perspective, aligning with the principles of mind ecology at a cognitive level. The analysis suggests an innovative and ecological design thinking mode, asserting that regenerative architecture can encompass not only material aspects but also informational and spiritual dimensions. This approach ultimately promotes a holistic and harmonious urban environment. Furthermore, this research posits that the bio-cybernetic stance and the morphogenetic approach share commonalities with the holistic conception of nature and the ecological view in ancient Chinese Daoist philosophy. This contribution can potentially offer a contemporary interpretation of the Daoist principles of “Nature and Humans in One Unity (天人合一)” and “The Dao Imitates the Laws of Nature (道法自然).” Such an interpretation is deemed beneficial for addressing today’s concerns related to holistic, balanced, and harmonious urbanism. Henceforth, the study endeavors to facilitate discourse between Eastern and Western trends of thought, culminating in a cohesive yet heterogeneous regenerative approach.

Keywords
Regenerative design
Abduction
Bio-digital computation
Design innovation
Ecological thinking
Funding
Main support funding came from The University of Innsbruck, The Bartlett UCL, the United Nations Development Program, The Venice Architectural Biennale, The Center Pompidou in Paris, The City of Tallinn, and The City of Aarhus, among others.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, Electronic ISSN: 2717-5626 Published by AccScience Publishing