Wild House Experiment: A Social Housing Project Rebuilding the Human-Nature Relationship
- 信義開發 ESG
- May 8
- 2 min read
May 8th, 2025
In Brighton, UK, an unassuming yet groundbreaking sustainable social housing project—The Wild House—was recently unveiled. More than just a building, this experimental development represents a bold urban intervention where ecological design, architectural innovation, and social care converge. Its message is clear and forward-thinking: our built environment must re-establish a meaningful connection with nature.
Rewilding Social Housing
Led by the University of Brighton, The Wild House was designed using a holistic, place-based approach. Locally sourced materials—including Brighton’s native chalkstone, nearby woodland timber, and natural clay—were used to reduce the project’s carbon footprint while reinforcing its bond with the regional landscape. Its construction principles echo contemporary movements such as ecosystem-based design and regenerative architecture.
In an era where rapid urban development continues to encroach on green spaces, The Wild House advocates not just for new housing, but for a new way of living—coexisting with the ecosystem. With nearly one in five Britons living in areas lacking access to green space, the project offers a scalable model for integrating nature and low-carbon living into urban settings.
A Proposal for Immersive Nature Architecture
Beyond its physical structure, The Wild House breaks new ground in user experience. Inside, residents encounter immersive soundscapes and AR-based interactive systems, allowing emotional connections with nature—even indoors. This multisensory architecture redefines buildings as platforms for ecological awareness and experiential education.
This aligns with the evolving paradigm of green architecture, which now prioritizes mental well-being, ecological continuity, and community integration, rather than focusing solely on energy metrics.
Systemic Potential and Policy Relevance
The Wild House is not a one-off design but the result of cross-sector collaboration. It brings together design leadership from the University of Brighton’s School of Art and Media, ecological sound experiments from University of Sussex, and community-based policy engagement through the UNESCO biosphere reserve, The Living Coast. It showcases how multi-stakeholder governance can support sustainable architecture on a regional scale.
Funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and connected to the Ecological Citizen(s) Network+, the project serves as both a prototype and a policy-architecture interface, catalyzing broader dialogues on sustainability.
Lessons for Taiwan: Beyond Green Buildings
As Taiwan pursues its 2050 net-zero goals, The Wild House offers a compelling framework: sustainability in architecture is not just about energy systems or materials, but about reimagining the human–building–nature relationship.
Can Taiwan’s social housing and urban renewal projects incorporate landscape-driven design, community co-creation, and ecological education? Can buildings become spaces that cultivate not just shelter, but a mindset of coexistence and regeneration?
As project lead Dr. Nicholas Gant put it:
“The Wild House is a social experiment in design, exploring how we might reconnect with natural systems through daily life.”
This is not merely a small step for green buildings—it’s a giant leap toward regenerative cities.
Source：Sanlih E-Television
