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Designing in Harmony with Nature: Architecture in Urban Wetlands and the Pursuit of Territorial Well-BeingSave this picture!Santuario de la Naturaleza Humedal Ro Maipo. Image Cortesa de Fundacin CosmosWhat does it mean to design while considering the rhythms and cycles of nature? What social relationships and connections with the natural environment can cities foster today and in the future? In the face of a triple environmental crisis driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, along with zoonotic pandemics, increasing mental and emotional health issues, and digital hyperconnectivity, Fundacin Cosmos proposes to explore learnings, experiences, and tools aimed at connecting people with their territories. Through nature-based urban planning, the intervention in urban wetlands presents an opportunity to enhance, learn from, and conserve natural and cultural heritage in pursuit of a sustainable and resilient future.Over the years, human beings have settled in different environments according to the natural characteristics of the territories in search of prosperity. Access to water, soil quality, natural resources, and scenic beauty have undoubtedly influenced community decision-making. While it is widely acknowledged that humans rely on natural systems for essential resources such as water, food, and raw materials, merely being connected to nature also serves crucial functions and offers, moreover, significant benefits. While forests and oceans act as carbon sinks and regulate local climates, wetlands, and riparian vegetation help prevent and mitigate flood risks. In turn, plants act as filters for air pollutants, further contributing to countless medicinal compounds production.Save this picture!Various studies have shown that contact with nature can reduce stress, improve cognitive function, lower the risk of chronic diseases, strengthen the immune system, and promote social and community connections, significantly impacting mental, physical, and social well-being. For example, the study View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery by Roger Ulrich examined the relationship between hospital recovery times, the use of pain medication, and exposure to nature through a window. The results demonstrated that patients with views of nature recovered more quickly, required less pain medication, and experienced fewer post-surgery complications than those whose rooms faced a brick wall. Recognizing the healing power of natural spaces, Fundacin Cosmos has worked on designing more than 30 Healing and Therapeutic Gardens in hospitals and healthcare residences. Related Article Healing Gardens: Nature as Therapy in Hospitals Save this picture!Now, landscape architecture has the ability to shape the dynamic network of ecosystems and land uses that define territories. Drawing inspiration from nature and placing it at the forefront of spatial creation, infrastructures can serve as tools to enhance its benefits and act as bridges between human development and biodiversity conservation. As highlighted in the book "Learnings for Territorial Well-being" by Fundacin Cosmos, structures such as viewpoints, walkways, and trails provide strategic observation points that enrich visitors' experiences by allowing them to contemplate and appreciate the beauty of ecosystems without disturbing biodiversity. Walkways facilitate access to wetlands, democratizing natural spaces for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Additionally, they help prevent soil degradation, allowing for the free movement of wildlife and the propagation of flora and fungi beneath them. Notably, their elevated construction is resilient to the dynamic nature of wetlands, as river and estuary waters rise and fall beneath the walkways, depending on fluctuating water levels influenced by rainfall, storm surges, and droughts.Save this picture!But what role do urban wetlands play in ecosystems and people's lives? How is it possible to project architecture over them? Considered priority ecosystems, wetlands are highly productive environments with rich biodiversity and a significant capacity for capturing and storing carbon. These ecological systems are essential for human life, exemplifying humanitys dependence on nature. Moreover, many towns and cities worldwide have historically positioned around different types of wetlands in search of their benefits. In 2020, Chile enacted the Urban Wetlands Law, marking a milestone in environmental conservation in the country. This law recognizes the importance of wetlands in urban areas and establishes a framework for their protection. It mandates that urban wetlands be managed sustainably, respecting their ecological value and their role in human well-being while integrating them into municipal land-use and environmental planning instruments.Save this picture!Located on the border between the communes of Santo Domingo and San Antonio in the Valparaso region, the Ro Maipo Wetland Park is a space for conservation, recreation, and environmental education open to the community. Situated at the river's mouth in a dynamic and complex territory, Fundacin Cosmos has collaborated in designing infrastructures and developing management models to promote biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, and community engagement in this coastal wetland of unique characteristics and great cultural and natural wealth, now protected under the designation of a Nature Sanctuary. According to its designers, each architectural decision has been an opportunity to learn about the natural dynamics of the site and how to develop infrastructures in wetlands. In fact, resilient, low-cost, and easily implementable strategies were developed for designing and constructing within the Ro Maipo Wetland, respecting natures patterns and rhythms while minimizing environmental impact.Save this picture!In this way, a simple infrastructure was designed based on pathways connecting landmarks strategically placed to facilitate landscape interpretation. Recycled containers were used for the entrance and administrative areas, while accessible wooden walkways were incorporated throughout the site, adapting in form according to the environment and the needs of each space, for example, rising in height in flood-prone areas. Beyond an interpretative room, six viewpoints, a one-kilometer walkway circuit, and various community activity space, ssince 2023, the Parks section within the Nature Sanctuary has offered an interpretive trail with interactive exhibits to highlight the cultural and natural heritage of the socio-ecosystem. Through 12 interactive museographic stations located along the route, visitors can explore the territory while learning about topics such as migratory birds, Indigenous peoples, and the ecosystem services provided by wetlands.Save this picture!On the other hand, the Salinas de Huentelauqun Wetland is a RAMSAR site spanning 2,772 hectares in the Coquimbo region of northern Chile. Encompassing a variety of habitats including beaches, plains, dunes, ravines, runoff wetlands, coastal wetlands, and a vast estuarine lagoon, Fundacin Cosmos has sought to create infrastructure that facilitates tourism and education around the wetland by providing spaces for contemplation, observation, and learning. Through a participatory design process, the proposal for the Museo Abierto Explanada de las Aguas (Open-Air Museum of the Waters) was developed, aimed at environmental education, nature appreciation, and fostering a deeper connection with the landscape. Inspired by the archaeological lithic structures of the Huentelafken Complex, an Indigenous culture that inhabited the area over 8,000 years ago, local materials and traditional construction techniques using stone, reeds, and wood were employed in the first phase of the Explanada de las Aguas.Save this picture!Highlighting the value of water as a territory mold, the esplanade offers panoramic views of the various habitats of the wetland, opening up in four viewpoints where the Sea Viewpoint overlooks the Pacific Ocean, the River Viewpoint overlooks the mouth of the Choapa River, the Ponds Viewpoint looks toward the cryptic lagoons, and the Mountain Viewpoint faces the Coastal Range. Synthesizing its history to merge with the landscape, the project demonstrates the importance of involving local communities from the beginning to understand the socio-ecosystem and develop initiatives that value heritage, promote local cultures, and strengthen the bond between people and their territories. Through plans and technical details, the book "Learnings for Territorial Well-being" exposes how the volumetry of the site was generated from the geometrized drawing of the ancestral lithic that rises in the form of dry-stone walls, constructed with local techniques. These dry-stone walls are the result of a collaborative work of learning where, while the team from Cosmos Foundation designed their shapes and layouts, community members were the ones who taught how to build them. Highlighting the role of water as a force that shapes the land while offering panoramic views of the wetlands diverse habitats, the esplanade unfolds into four viewpoints: the Mirador del Mar overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Mirador del Ro facing the mouth of the Choapa River, the Mirador de las Charcas offering views of the cryptic lagoons, and the Mirador de la Cordillera directed towards the Coastal Mountain Range. By synthesizing history into the landscape, the project demonstrates the importance of involving local communities from the beginning to understand the socio-ecosystem and develop initiatives that recognize heritage, promote local cultures, and strengthen peoples ties to their land. Through detailed site plans and technical specifications, the book Aprendizajes para el Bienestar Territorial explains how the site's volumetric design was generated based on the geometric interpretation of an ancestral lithic structure, built using local techniques in the form of pircas (dry-stone walls). These pircas are the result of a collaborative and educational effort, where Fundacin Cosmos designed their shapes and layouts, while community members led the construction process, passing on their knowledge.Save this picture!Pamela Hurtado Berger, founder of Fundacin Cosmos, invites us to reflect: "Is it possible to design a landscape for its regeneration?" By integrating the natural landscape, local culture, and community needs, the focus shifts toward harmonizing human habitation with natures cycles and functions. By reclaiming vernacular architecture, projects can honor traditional construction techniques and the use of local materials while adapting designs to each site's climate and geographical conditions. As seen in La Aldea del Encuentro in Chile and the Jardn Sanador Kamuna in Burund, Africa, multidisciplinary collaboration and community participation are essential in participatory design processes. Factors such as social interaction, dialogue, and the transmission of traditional skills extend beyond the project itself, fostering social integration, cohesion, and the strengthening of community ties.Save this picture!Territorial well-being requires an integrated, creative, and collaborative approach. Fundacin Cosmos works alongside architects, biologists, engineers, sociologists, designers, and journalists to restore the human-nature relationship. It collaborates with national and international organizations dedicated to biodiversity conservation, local social groups, universities, public institutions, private companies, experts, and authorities, integrating diverse perspectives, knowledge, and expertise to design natural spaces and management models for the regeneration and conservation of socio-ecosystems. From wetland restoration to the creation of healing and therapeutic gardens or the revitalization of urban parks, its mission is to harness the power of nature to promote well-being through landscape design.Save this picture!Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorAgustina IiguezAuthorCite: Iiguez, Agustina. "Designing in Harmony with Nature: Architecture in Urban Wetlands and the Pursuit of Territorial Well-Being" [Disear en armona con la naturaleza: arquitectura en humedales urbanos y una bsqueda del bienestar territorial] 09 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. (Trans. Pieiro, Antonia ) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027467/designing-in-harmony-with-nature-architecture-in-urban-wetlands-and-the-pursuit-of-territorial-well-being&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream