This is the way we understood the word « metabolic »: the creation of a place that grows from the inside, with its own autonomy while being a part of a wider eco-system and creating symbiosis with the surrounding environments. This new dis-trict had to grow in an organic way, the residential function being only one of the elements that make a city. Nevertheless, we felt from the beginning that we needed to avoid this trap of building a “dormitory village”. It was tempting to address this project by designing a new housing typology and by implementing it on the whole site following a classic development scheme. Located between city and countryside, between man and nature, Hjertelia is a the perfect illustration of an Ecotone, a place of meeting between two biological communities. How did the issues on metabolic and inclusive vitalities and the questions raised by the site mutation meet? Our answer was to replace the individualistic dream of the detached house by a collective utopia, a productive district based on cooperation and in close relationship to nature.ģ.

The main issue on Hjertelia was to propose a new form of neighborhood that would be an alternative to low-density and car-dependent suburban housing. How do you define the main issue of your project, and how did you answer on this session main topic, Living cities? Its incredible location with its light slope at the edge of a forest, between fields and city immediately appealed us.Ģ. As for the choice of Hjertelia, it was a natural decision. Indeed, experienced professionals can really take advantage of such open com-petitions to broaden their mind and confront themselves with long-term urban projects. Europan was an opportunity for us to investigate new issues and new perspectives out of our daily practice. We are 3 friends and colleagues working in the same office for some years now. How did you form the team for the competition? Because there isn't an ecotone around the forest its biodiversity is limited. (Thanks to WoodlandsTV for schooling me on this habitat.1. These wildflowers and shrubs are a part of the woodland's ecotone. There aren't any shrubs along the edge either which small woodland creatures use for their homes. There isn't an open glade so that sun can penetrate the woods to encourage growth. It doesn't have wildflowers growing along the edge of the path which butterflies and pollinators enjoy. Yes, it is nice, but it isn't an optimal habitat. You smell the deep earthy, mossy smells of the forest. A chipmunk scurries in front of your dog on the path. You hear birds fluttering and chirping above you.

It's a sunny day, but the forest's trees cast shadows on the path. Picture a path cutting through a forest-the kind of place you love to take your dog for a walk.

The larger the habitat the smaller the effect the ecotone has on that habitat. The first scenario-with the larger park-is the best in terms of biodiversity because the park is larger. For example, a neighbor might have run-off from lawn fertilizer, or another neighbor might have a plant that spreads seeds to the park (think: dandelions). All of your neighbors also affect the park. You live in the house with your partner, your children and a dog-all of whom use the park for recreation and therefore impact the park.

The ecotone of that park is the perimeter where the houses are located. The park is wooded and generously sized-about three acres. You own one of a number of houses that sits on the perimeter of a neighborhood park. Let's think about some different scenarios to help wrap our minds around this. A clearing in a forest is an ecotone, as is an estuary between a fresh water body and saltwater. For example, the edge between a forest and grassland is an ecotone, and so is marshland between a river and riverbank. Ecotone is also known as the 'edge effect.' Simply stated, it's a region of transition between two biological communities.

The nature of an edge or ecotone