In late 2021, we covered a study by researchers at the University of Plymouth in the UK, which found that living wall systems can reduce heat lost from existing buildings by 31%.

The Plymouth study was symptomatic of a larger curiosity within architecture on the impact of integrating nature and biophilia with the built environment. In May, NASA undertook its own study to understand the potential for green roofs to lower temperatures in cities, while back in 2019, our Studio Snapshot series included a reflection by Habitat Horticulture founder David Brenner on the growing interest of living materials in architecture.

“Living walls are often considered an afterthought or a static accessory in architectural design,” Brenner told us. “Having said that, the tide seems to be shifting with proactive urban greening policies and the rise in popularity of biophilic design. I think we are only scratching the surface in understanding the impact living walls can have.”

Unsurprisingly, a project incorporating living walls, roofs, or materials, requires a unique design team. For Brenner, the ability to design, install, and maintain living systems requires a “motley crew of horticulturalists, landscape architects, architects, engineers, industrial designers, and botanists."

The same is true of Neri Oxman, the MIT Media Lab professor whose work frequently fuses architecture with biology and materials engineering. In her profile on Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design series, Oxman described her ideal team as a “Noah’s Ark,” with two architects, two engineers, two biologists, two data chemical engineers, etc.

How might architects operate within this multi-disciplinary environment? For clues, we are using our Job Highlights series this week to explore open opportunities for architects and design thinkers at Terreform ONE (Open Network Ecology). Sitting at the intersection of art, architecture, and urbanism, the climate-conscious non-profit research group is dedicated to “illuminating the environmental possibilities of habitats, cities, and landscapes across the globe.”

Similar to the other examples in this article, Terreform ONE adopts a so-called “trans-disciplinary approach” to its work, where architects and urban designers are supported by biologists, computer scientists, artists, writers, and engineers.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the group is currently searching for an Architect / Design Thinker to join their team in New York. In their job listing, the group emphasizes the need for individuals who “exude imagination, are collaborative, communicative, trustworthy, and embrace experimentation.” Slated to work on the Terreform’s NEW LAB project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the group hopes to hear from candidates with experience ranging from initial concept sketching to constructing ecological/computational building systems.

“We operate as an interdisciplinary lab of specialists advancing the practice of socio-ecological design,” the group says. “Our collaborative process includes speculating about the ways in which emerging technologies will impact future urban generations and local biodiversity. We focus on the intersections of ecological planning, biotech architecture, urban systems, and public art.”

The group’s previously-published works lay credence to their focus on living systems and biotech architecture. While their Cricket Shelter suggests a new typology for introducing crickets into the modern American diet, their Monarch Butterfly sanctuary tower in New York City uses 3D printed carbon-sequestering concrete, glass, and ETFE pillows to create a 70-foot “vertical meadow” along an urban street. Terreform ONE provided our readers with more insights in the comments section of our news article on the project back in 2019.

Full details on Terreform ONE's latest job opportunity can be found here on Archinect Jobs. Stay tuned for future curated job highlights, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more exciting opportunities on Archinect's industry-leading job board. Recent editions of our Job Highlights series have seen career opportunities for an airport terminal planner at Corgan, a drawing drafter at WholeTree Structures, and a building simulation analyst at EskewDumezRipple.