Natural Intelligence:Learning from Nature in LandscapeArchitecture

"Explore how landscape architecture can harness the intelligence of natural systems to create resilient, sustainable, and adaptive urban landscapes."

Introduction

Nature has always been the ultimate designer — a self-organizing, adaptive, and intelligent system that has shaped every ecosystem we live in.

Today, the concept of Natural Intelligence invites landscape architects and designers to look beyond aesthetics and rediscover how natural systems can inform the way we build, regenerate, and interact with our environments.

Learning from Nature

Adaptation as Design Logic

From shifting climates to seasonal growth cycles, natural systems continuously adapt. Designing with this adaptability in mind allows landscapes to remain relevant and functional under changing environmental conditions.

Ecosystem-Centered Thinking

Moving beyond human-centric frameworks, this approach values soil health, water management, and biodiversity as core design criteria — not afterthoughts.

Integrated Systems

Drainage, shading, plant selection, and material use must work as one living system — responsive, efficient, and regenerative.

Why It Matters

Sustainability with Intelligence

Nature-inspired systems minimize maintenance, optimize resources, and support circular ecological processes.

Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

By learning from how ecosystems recover and adapt, landscapes can better withstand extreme weather events and environmental stresses.

Human Experience and Connection

Natural Intelligence doesn’t only produce ecological benefits — it creates places that feel alive, grounding users in sensory and emotional experiences of nature.

Our Approach at Skab

At Skab, we explore Natural Intelligence through every stage of our design process:

• Local Ecology First – Prioritizing native species and site-specific planting strategies to enhance biodiversity and ecological balance.

• Natural Water Systems – Integrating rainwater harvesting, bioswales, and permeable surfaces to restore hydrological cycles and treat water as a resource.

• Soil & Micro-Climates – Designing with soil health and microhabitats in mind, creating resilient outdoor environments that adapt to users and conditions.

• Technology + Nature – Using climate data, solar exposure, and wind dynamics to merge digital tools with natural logic for smarter design decisions.

Looking Ahead

“Natural Intelligence is not about copying nature, but about learning from it.”

As our cities evolve, embracing the intelligence of nature is no longer an option but a necessity. At Skab, we aim to design landscapes that collaborate with nature — living systems that adapt, regenerate, and inspire.

Reference: Cervera, Marina (2025). “Marina Cervera on the Evolving Barcelona Landscape Biennial and its Upcoming 13th Edition.” Landezine.