SOCIAL & ECOLOGICAL METHODS FOR NATURE-BASED DESIGN PRACTICE
Alexandra Burgos-Thorsen
Olga Shevchenko Shevolya
personaltrajectoryresources&insightsmethodsincurrent SLAprojectsvisionsforthefuture
ARRIVAL
Finding my way back through practice
Chile
Honduras
Los Angeles
RESOURCES
ecofeminism environmental justice
sci-fi
sociology
geography
philosophy
eco-marxism indigenous wisdom ecology multispecies justice
equitable data practices
traditional ecological knowledge
ethics of care
ecofeminism
more than human knowledge
sci-fi
ethics
radical imagination
eco-marxism
design + strategy
critical ecology
conservation indigenous wisdom
eco-marxism
systems thinking reciprocity
ecology
queer ecology
multispecies justice
plant intelligence
history
environmental justice
sociology
restoration
decolonization
philosophy
resilience planning
geography
storytelling
equitable data practices
regenerative rewilding data justice
food sovereignty
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.”
- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
“We
are living now inside the imagination of people who thought economic disparity and environmental destruction were acceptable costs for their power. It is our right and responsibility to write ourselves into the future. All organizing is science fiction.”
- adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds design
“Care is too important to give it up to the reductions of hegemonic ethics. Thinking in the world involves acknowledging our own involvements in perpetuating dominant values rather than retreating to the sheltered position of an enlightened outsider who knows better. Can thinking be connected if it pretends to be outside of worlds we want to see transformed, even those we would rather not endorse?
- Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, Matters of Care: Speculative Ethics in more than Human Worlds
NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS
SLA approach with care
Nature based solutions are one part of the solution, we have to understand that the climate crisis is a systemic problem
Landscape architecture practices can lead to green gentrification andd thus cause displacement
Nature based solutions must center indigenous knowledge- NBS is inherently an indigenous concept
a practice of positioning that is about carefully attending to power relations at play in the process of knowledge production we should not claim objectivity, being situated is about having a position
holding leaders of thought accountable
Haraway suggests to multiply the perspective best knowledge comes from all different knowledges
In view of ecological urgencies, we need to link ecological knowledge with humanities
Donna Haraway situated knowledges
+other situated knowledges SLA
insights
ecology as a tool for social change
organize social transformations by learning from nature and ecosystems that have regrown and thrived in deprived, intoxicated lands
restore and protect biodiversity to empower local communities
create resilient plantings adapted for local environmental conditions
ecological value takes time
maintenance is an ethic of care
ecology and its knowledge are always evolving, we must evolve with it
plants are power, and social transformation is inextricably linked to environmental transformation
insights
we are not saviors, we are facilitators power is spatialized, and rooted in the land we have potential to perpetuate harm so we must think critically when looking at nature based solutions and strategies, it needs to be intersectional and interdisciplinary think radically use data collection and practices for the greater good and as a tool for empowerment community members are experts of their own communities there is no single solution healing the earth will take all of us.
SLA + UAE
A biological and sociological approach
“the richness of animals, especially insects, in the UAE is underestimated, and that the knowledge is hidden but there. It’s just a question and process of how to get easier access to it and elevate it ”
A conversation with Nico
• most of the environmental knowledge we have right now in the UAE is coming from expats (Brits, Danes, etc.)
• however, if u read the Quran, these birds and animals are mentioned, they have different names but they are there, we did not “discover” them
• we as Western thinkers have standardized data collection practices and ways of archiving research, however, we must understand that in the UAE, there are historically and culturally other ways of data collection and archivingstorytelling
• traditional ecological knowledge lives in elders and memory
• people’s perceptions of nature may be different
• there is a big effort from the Environmental Agency to collect data, protect nature, and bring kids in contact with this knowledge
• our role now is to explore ways to bridge our Western practices of archival research with traditional ways of archiving
• something to celebrate: there is a natural seed bank and people are thinking of ways of growing these native species back
• agriculture is another great example of traditional practices that are nature based
Ecology is cultural.
indigenous wisdom ecology multispecies justice environmental justice
sci-fi conservation philosophy equitable data practices ecofeminism
THICK SECTIONS
History + the future
“thick sections” as a method of revealing the complex, layered relationships within a landscape, moving beyond surface-level “thin descriptions” to explore deeper meanings embedded in a site. This approach emphasizes understanding a place as a stratigraphy of interconnected relationships—human, non-human, and morphological—that shape its history and identity.
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
Desert Farm
THIS IS OUR FARM.
A PLACE OF SOIL-STAINED HANDS, SEASONED BY THE EARTH, SAND AND SUN. HERE, WE EMBRACE THE OPPOSITE OF THROWAWAY.
THIS IS OUR FARM (RE)MADE. A PLACE OF MANY WORLDS. A PLACE OF CONNECTION, NOT CONVENIENCE. AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH THE LAND ITSELF. HERE, YOU’RE WELCOMED BY THE BEAUTY AND PERSISTENCE OF NATURE, SLOW GROWTH, INSTINCTUAL AND ULTIMATELY SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE OR PIECE OF LAND.
THIS IS AN ECOSYSTEM, A LIVING INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE THE RHYTHMS OF LIFE.
A FARM, NOT A THEME PARK, SCHOOL, A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS, WHERE EVERY INCH OF LAND HOLDS A LESSON.
THIS IS OUR FARM AND WE ARE GUESTS OF THE DESERT. WE LET NATURE DO AND WE FIND WHERE WE FIT. NORTH AND WEST, PREVAILING WINDS... OUR FARM CARRIES THE STORY OF RESILIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY THAT BROUGHT THE ARABIAN PENINSULA INTO THE FUTURE. AN ETHIC OF CARE, FORGING OUR WAY, WHAT WORK THERE IS TO FIND WHERE EVEN NIGHT WORK WORTH FARTHER AWAY, FROM ONE. EACH SEASON SHAPES ITS OWN LANGUAGE, INNOVATION AND INVENTION.
THIS IS NOT A DESTINATION, IT IS A CONSTANT INVITATION TO A DIALOGUE... SPENDING HANDS, TIRE EYES.
THIS IS OUR FARM. TO REMIND GUIDING US HUMAN TO ITS NATURE. WE GATHER THROUGH THE HARVEST AND THE UNSPOKEN TRUTH IN NEVER IN ARMS. WE HONOR THE SEED, THE WATER, AND THE FRAMES THAT SHAPE THE MEANT CREATURE, ARE TRULY KNOWN, WITH THE REWARD THAT COMES OUT.
WELCOME TO OUR FARM. WELCOME TO SOMETHING REAL.
Nabaat
Harath / harath al arth
Creating grooves and prepping the soil for seeds. Working the soil
Fruits of the earth
Patch of earth
Foraging for fruits (in the fall)
Fertilizing the soil
Tel’aat al nakheel
The palm tree grew
Yelba
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
Desert Farm
Harmony with nature • Multiple functions • Permaculture • Agroecology
Synergy • Dynamic • Medium-low maintenance • High biodiversity
Agrobiodiversity
Animals:
The Barari Grove
Production Ecoscape
Halophyte Fields
Barari grove + halophyte field
Barari grove + halophyte field
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
The Farm is the signifier Authentic /
Farming + Biodiversity
Harmony /
The Desert Vernacular
Tone /
Immersive journeys
Curate /
Community & Hospitality
Home /
Desert Farm
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
David Crombie
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
Canada ecology
SLA’S SOCIAL INITIATIVES
Social design circle
At SLA, we aim to redefne landscape architecture by creating resilient, biodiverse communities and tackling social justice through ecological practices.
By 2030, we strive to lead in designing spaces that challenge conventional nature perceptions, co-create with diverse actors, and foster a more equitable, sustainable world.
• interdisciplinary Collaboration and Integration
• community and Stakeholder Engagement
• ecological and Social Justice
• innovation and Methodology Evolution
• professional Growth and Market Positioning
transformative change social impact
We believe a radical green transformation is socially and ecologically just. We want to foster social sustainability and environmental awareness in decision-making
Communities should be part of shaping their spaces. Making the invisible, visible
stakeholder engagement
Good facilitation is key to conveying the importance of community’s needs. Tis includes community engagement practices that actually inform our decisions as well as facilitations with clients
S & E METHODS IN PROJECTS
planting lists
planting palettes
GIS mapping data visualization project tenders social & enviornmental data analysis biodiversity strategies
planting plans open research databases ecosystem design
Services research projects test plots prototyping + resilience plans open research databases public toolkits policy risk assessment coastal resilience stratesgies
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
Practice grant with Trophic Design
reconnection
test plot reclaimation
SLA’S CURRENT WORK
Fra vildt problem til vild natur: Forankring af naturgenopretning i lokale aktører som forandringsagenter
transformative change
Te “From Wild Problem to Wild Nature” project unites experts in design, humanities, and democratic innovation to develop community-driven, socially just approaches for local nature restoration in Denmark, addressing complex ecological issues through collaboration and a humanistic toolkit.
HOW DO WE GROUND NATURE BASED SOLUTONS IN MULTIPLE SITUATED KNOWLEDGES?
