Eco-infrastructure is the continuous green substructure that runs throughout a building integrating its inorganic mass with the organic content of the green eco-infrastructure, imitating the balance of biotic with the abiotic constituents present in an ecosystem. The approach is mimetic of a natural ecosystem. The eco-infrastructure may consist of several of the following ecological components and devices: ecosells, vegetated ramps, vertical green walls, green sky-courts, roof gardens and terraces. Its purpose is a continuous nexus of biotic components that blend with the inorganic elements of the built forms, and with the surrounding landscape and its hinterland (Van Schaik 2009: 144).
Dr. Ken Yeang states that an analogy might be drawn between ecodesign and prosthetics in surgery. Ecodesign is essentially design that integrates our artificial systems, both mechanically and organically, with their host systems’ ecosystems. Similarly, a medical prosthetic device has to integrate with its organic host being the human body. Failure to integrate well will result in dislocation in both. By analogy, this is what ecodesign in our built environment and in our businesses should achieve a total physical, systematic and temporal integration of our human-made built environment with our organic host in a benign and positive way (Van Schaik 2009: 142).
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