Within the continuum of natural-to-novel ecosystems − i.e., from the 'pristine' to the greatly intervened − this paper emphasizes the role of design within highly modified ecosystems in areas of urbanization. It is argued that, as certain landscapes (particularly urbanized ones) can never be restored to original levels of historical ecological fidelity, they should be treated as both cultural and ecological landscapes. It is then proposed that these anthropogenic landscapes would be ready canvases for designed (or planned) novel ecosystems that could be inculcated with ecological function and systems delivery, yet having profound aesthetic manipulation. Based on this landscape architecture perspective, it is suggested that ecologists may not have fully explored cultural interventions in restoring landscapes, especially within the agency of design. A design strategy for the biological hotspot of Perth in southwestern Australia is then provided as a relevant example of how novel ecosystems can be designed. Without an acute and novel approach to modifying current development practices, Perth's biodiversity is on track for considerable deterioration. From this exploratory backdrop, it is elaborated how neo-baroque design strategies can be used for structuring ecological systems to create resilient and productive novel ecosystems grounded in a critical and autochthonous aesthetic of botanical complexity.
This paper presents a design strategy as a technique for increasing the ecological relevance of constructed (designed) landscapes. The paper focuses on Perth, Western Australia, a rapidly expanding settler-city located in an internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot. While uniquely endued in plant endemism and species richness, the city's fringes are smoothed over and bulldozed with little regard. Located in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region, the landscape's extreme age and stability, its isolation and Gondwanan botanical heritage, and the ability of its plants to thrive in old, leached stable soils are some of the factors that account for this botanical richness. While scientists continually strive to understand the specific, Perth's inhabitants persistently crave the verdant picturesque. Without an acute and novel approach to modifying current design and development practices, Perth's biodiversity is headed for extinction. The paper is developed in four sections: firstly, it asserts that designed landscape should be treated as potential novel ecosystems, allowing for a more robust cultural and ecological exchange. Secondly, it elaborates on the particularities of site and problems within the locale of Perth, Western Australia and, in doing so, briefly presents some considerations of Perth's OCBIL landscapes. The paper then introduces the Baroque as a potential cultural framework upon which to articulate a considered design strategy. This paper elaborates on how baroque design strategies can structure the creation of resilient and ecologically productive novel ecosystems grounded in a critical and local aesthetic of ecological complexity.
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