Rewilding, Biodiversity and Biophilia in Architecture

This piece looks at architecture and landscaping designed to work with wildlife and ecosystems, not just reduce a building's own energy use. The main example is a $92 million wildlife overpass being built over the 101 freeway near Los Angeles, meant to reconnect mountain lion habitat split by the road. The broader idea, sometimes called "deep ecology," pushes beyond typical green building features like solar panels or efficient appliances, and asks whether a home's site, materials, and landscaping actually support birds, insects, and plants nearby.

For homeowners, the more relevant threads are about materials and yards. Some designers are turning to reclaimed local lumber, adobe (earthen wall construction) and other low-carbon, fire-resistant materials, partly in response to families rebuilding after the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires in California. Native-plant landscaping, sometimes called "rewilding," is also discussed as a way to cut irrigation and chemical use while restoring habitat for pollinators and small wildlife, though the article notes it has run into pushback from neighbors over aesthetics or fire concerns.

The piece also covers "biophilic" design in dense cities, like apartment towers with heavy plantings on balconies and rooftops, meant to bring greenery into urban living where a yard isn't possible. None of this points to a specific program, rebate, or deadline for homeowners. It's more a look at design trends and philosophy than a concrete upgrade you could act on right now.