The Nowy Strzeszyn housing estate in Poznań is an example of searching for nature-based solutions and shaping architecture in good terms with the landscape and nature. The starting point in the design approach was to preserve as much of ‘what’s already there’, drawing from the German plant ecologist, Ingo Kowarik’s concept of the Fourth Nature. Through the sympathetic integration of residential units with the existing retained vegetation, the development appears ingrained in its setting, which evokes a sense of calm and relaxation. The planting design draws from the original natural habitats and plant communities through the use of common native species and fruit trees. Many spontaneous arrivals, traditionally considered weeds, are also welcome and even cherished by the more environmentally-conscious residents. The project demonstrates the significance of landscape solutions that marry ecology with aesthetics and explores this marriage as a novel approach of ‘ecological aesthetics’.
