Untitled systems: Towards a pedagogical framework for multidisciplinary mapping of built environment relationships to living systems

Critical to successful architecture is the art of negotiating conflicting demands and finding previously unseen opportunities through design.By disregarding the needs of natural systems in urban development we are creating profound, existential challenges for society.If instead we view the needs of natural systems as equal to those of human systems, what opportunities emerge?Can we address our global environmental challenges at their root cause?This paper seeks to contribute to the field of architectural pedagogy through bringing awareness to architecture's impacts on living systems, by tracing the effect of architectural interventions on local ecology.Although ecological systems are dynamic, their evolution over time is relatively predictable as long as external influences are stable.However, the impact of the built environment on these systems often causes imbalance, and this is not typically considered prior to designing.A multi-disciplinary exchange of information is essential in order to predict and mitigate imbalances.This paper reflects on a case study of Noogenboro (Herdsman Lake) -a wetland of ecological importance in Perth's metropolitan area.There is a particular focus on the impacts on species that are typically considered 'pests' -defined by the authors as something traditionally seen as a living site constraint or nuisance.The theory was applied to a second-year architecture studio, evaluating the development of student environmental understanding.The impacts identified are analysed from a multi-disciplinary lens, synthesised and visually mapped, contributing to the establishment of a collaborative pedagogical approach that encourages negotiation with local living systems when designing.