All is not yet lost to climate change as our understanding of our environment grows, alongside our means to nurture it. Trees have recently been found to broadcast information through strands of fungi below the forest floor; meanwhile robots independently manage parcels of agricultural land. Perhaps handing over the reins of responsibility may be a viable option.

Bionic Landscapes invents a direction for humanity, through the concept of ‘distanced authorship’, where the natural world is intentionally separated from man’s reach in order to survive. Could the planet’s ecologies become more ‘natural’ by managing our influence? The project explores the possibility of a delicate future symbiosis between nature and intelligent machine, kept beyond the reach of its greatest threat. The research, through a speculative architectural thesis and year-long project, culminates in a short film set in the year 2098, as an AI system considers whether to re-introduce humanity to nature again.