Building and Environment 40 (2005) 1235–1243 The building concept in hybrid systems constitution (Kiron system) Ernesto C. Curiel-Carı´as à Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado Postal: 89.748, Caracas, Venezuela Received 11 February 2004; accepted 18 October 2004 Abstract Environmental devastation caused by the existing dissociation between the organizational logic of living systems and that prevailing in artificial systems, is accented in inter-tropical areas where a great habitation demand coexists with important ecosystems. Based on the vast information on living systems, this paper outlines a first approach to the building concept (as an environmental conditioning apparatus) which would contribute to reconcile both organizational logics through the constitution of new hybrid systems. r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Buildings; Living systems; Artificial systems; Hybrid systems 1. Introduction In recent years, serious difficulties to implement the BrundlantReportaspirations [1] inregionsoftheThird World have been made evident. The double purpose of increasing the exploitation of natural resources, which theincreasinghumanneedsinthoseregionsdorequire, without compromising even more the dynamic stability of the biosphere results in very difficult goals. This is due, as it is known, to multiple and complex causes, some of them being factors that ‘‘... are inseparably tied to the conception we have of the relationship between society and nature’’ [2]. More specifically, it can be said that this is a product of the profound dissociations existing between the logic that guides the structure and functioning of natural systems and the one prevailing in artificial systems, giving place to two interpenetrated but poorly integrated worlds [3]; systems of different nature forced to coexist in one planet, seriously compromising the future viability of the global system. Theexistenceofauniquesystemalsoimpliesthatwe adopt the premise that artificial systems constitute only subsystems of it and, as such, their partial objectives should be subordinate to the interdependence principle and to the achievement of an important common objective, the dynamic equilibrium of the planet as a whole. In this paper the magnitude and complexity of discussions on the subject are limited to two aspects: on one hand, to the regions of the Third World, concretely, to the protected areas of inter-tropical regions as depositories of particularly important and fragile ecosystems, and, on the other hand, to the built up environment, to the discussion on buildings (as an environmental conditioning apparatus) located in those scenarios and their surroundings. The specific problem is then restricted to the distor- tions arising from relationships between the building and nature in the indicated context, that is to the negativeeffectsofbuildingsontheimmediatelandscape (ground,soil,vegetation,microclimate,naturaldrainage systems,wildlifehabitat,waterandairquality,etc.)and on the biological requirements of their occupants (thermal, acoustic, luminous, anthropometrics, ergono- metrics and water and energy supply deficiencies, etc.). ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/buildenv 0360-1323/$-see front matter r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2004.10.012 à Fax:+5802129916260. E-mail address: ecuriel@reacciun.ve (E.C. Curiel-Carı´as).