2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land - 94

landwrites
been opting for context-responsive
buildings that engage with the neighborhood
and adjacent uses through
activated outdoor spaces.
From a biophilic standpoint, great
outdoor spaces may have more
human value than highly amenitized
indoor spaces. Through decades
of research, we have come to realize
that access to the outdoors and
connectedness to the environment
are important parts of human nature
when it comes to physical health and
mental well-being. In many ways,
spaces incorporating outdoorness
offer an escape from daily pressures
and a much-needed break from
technology. Research has shown that
among other benefits, exposure to
natural environments can lower a
person's blood pressure, reduce the
risk of cardiovascular disease, and
boost the immune system.
Landscape architects have been
willing into place this shift to prioritizing
outdoor space and exterior
amenities as a critical component of
human health, but it took the COVID19
pandemic to accelerate it and
create what I believe is a perpetual
change. An example is the number of
people who decided to stay and live
in the mountains of Colorado rather
go back to the office once COVID
restrictions ended. For them, the
change is a permanent thing.
Authenticity
My colleagues at BKV Group and I
recently visited a potential site for
a new project in downtown Kansas
City, Missouri-a dilapidated 1930s
warehouse building. Half the roof
had caved in, the windows were
all busted out, and vines were creeping
in-yet the space looked and
felt great.
All of us on the tour asked, " Why
is this such a fantastic space? " What
we realized is that the building no
longer dominated the landscape. The
94
URBAN LAND SUMMER 2023
City Club Apartments (CCA) Detroit in Michigan has an active feel, like that of
an old European town square or market, with the spaces offering a moment of
reprieve from the area's busy surroundings. The outdoorness of CCA Detroit is
a little less overall than that of Waterford Bay-5 or 5.5 on the continuum.
disintegration of the built space created
a better balance and connection
to nature. Options existed for us to
either be in the shade or the sun,
the surrounding views were open
and inviting, and there was a general
human scale and highly textural
quality to the space. It was a space
that was hard to define as either
outdoor or indoor. I now think about
that dilapidated building and aim for
a blurred level of outdoorness in all
projects.
This all supports a larger vision for
how my firm and others are focused
on a holistic approach to connecting
with nature for a design ethos
of authenticity. We champion projects
that reflect and celebrate the
culture and ecology of their setting.
This is a recent divergence in our
profession and practice that historically
(and sometimes currently)
has led to buildings that dominate
the landscape and context. Unless
designers consider an authentic, contextually
responsive project, buildings
can become monoliths that have
a long-term negative influence on
their surroundings. Authenticity is
paramount when designers consider
projects affecting places that have a
large impact on people for decades
to come.
Beyond the Limits of Geography
Among the sectors of the built
environment, hospitality has been a
trendsetter in embracing outdoorness,
especially luxury hotel properties,
which often incorporate open
lobbies that connect to outdoor pool
and recreation areas or the beachfront.
These concepts have become
extremely popular in newer multifamily
buildings as well. Whether urban
or rural, high levels of outdoorness
can be incorporated into new conCOURTESY
BKV GROUP
2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land
