BIOMIMICRY IN By Sukhbans Kaur
ARCHITECTURE
CONTENT
1. AIM
2. OBJECTIVE
3. SCOPE
4. INTRODUCTION
5. ORIGINS
6. LITERATURE REVIEW
7. CASE STUDIES
8. ANALYSIS
9. CONCLUSION
10.BIBILIGRAPHY
AIM OBJECTIVE SCOPE
• The Incorporation of • To study the influence of • The research will look at
Biomimicry into an biomimicry on various aspects of nature
Architectural Design: A architecture as well as solutions to
New Approach towards • To study the application of climatic problems in order
climate Responsive biomimicry in architecture to create self-sustaining
Buildings • to study the right architecture.
approach to biomimicry
• To come up with possible
design recommendation
for different climatic
conditions
METHODOLOGY
• In order to achieve the aims of this research, the methodology of it has relied on qualitative
method through collecting data about the historical background of biomimicry and the
theoretical basis of different levels and design approaches of biomimicry, analyzing and
interpreting data by observing how to use eco solutions as a tool to achieve sustainability in
architecture. And finding solutions based on different types of circumstances in and around us.
INTRODUCTION
Throughout history, architects have looked to nature for What is biomimicry?
inspiration for building forms and approaches to Biomimicry – design inspired by the way functional
decoration: nature is used mainly as an aesthetic challenges have been solved in biology
sourcebook. Biomimicry is concerned with functional Biomimicry differs from other nature friendly or green
solutions and is not necessarily an aesthetic position. concepts. Animals, plants, and microbes are skilled
The concept of biomimicry talks about the ideas inspire engineers. They have found what works, what is
from nature and transfers those to create sustainable design appropriate and most importantly, what lasts here on
solutions. This concept is considered as one of the most Earth. Mimicry of living organisms and ecosystems to
promising solutions for sustainable development. create sustainable design solutions is called biomimicry.
There are some other terms that are worth clarifying:
‘biophilia’, ‘biomorphic’, ‘bio-utilization’ and ‘synthetic
biology’.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER TERMS THAT ARE WORTH CLARIFYING: ‘BIOPHILIA’,
‘BIOMORPHIC’, ‘BIO-UTILIZATION’ AND ‘SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY’.
Bio-
Utilization
Biophilia Biomimicry Biomorphic
Synthetic
Biology
ORIGINS
• There are some well-documented examples, such as the invention of
Velcro around 1948. In the past decade there has been a phenomenal
flourishing of biomimicry, as more and more designers respond to the
demand for sustainable products.
• The Daimler Chrysler biomimetic concept car, inspired by the
surprisingly streamlined and roomy boxfish, surgical glue developed from
an understanding of sandcastle worms and even ice cream that embodies
lessons from arctic fish have all delivered a superior product by learning
from adaptations in natural organisms.
• Filippo Brunelleschi referred to the forms of eggshells when designing
the Duomo in Florence and it is quite likely that deriving design inspiration
from nature goes back even further.
• Abstract
LITERATURE REVIEW The main objective of this research was to find out how
Biomimicry principles help in architecture of space, structure or
enclosure, its experience in space & time, technological
I. The Incorporation of Biomimicry into achievement, program or strategy development and compatibility
an Architectural Design Process: A New to its context.
Approach towards Sustainability of • CORRELATING BIOMIMICRY WITH ARCHITECTURE
Built Environment – by: Parag L. AND PROCESS DESIGN
Sarwate and Akshay P. Patil
Theories in Biomimicry feature similarities between biological and
social complex systems that can provide guidance in the management
of several issues, the design process and collective intelligence.
Bottom-up approach theories in Biomimicry include, self-
organization, optimize rather than maximize, use free energy, cross-
pollinate, embrace diversity, adapt, and evolve, use life-friendly
materials and processes, engage in symbiotic relationships, and
enhance the biosphere.
CORRELATION BETWEEN BIOMIMICRY, ARCHITECTURE AND PROCESS DESIGN
II. BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURE BY- OM PRAKASH
GUPTA AND RIDHI SAXENA
The main objective of this paper was to focus on:
• Influence of Biomimicry on architecture design.
• Explore the relevance of Biomimicry as nature inspired innovation.
• How Biomimicry can help to build sustainable future.
• What we can learn and emulate from nature.
• How can we reduce carbon emission waste through Biomimicry?
• How Biomimicry could be applied to climate change.
BACKGROUND
• Nature has a lot to teach us, particularly when it comes to architecture, so when it comes to buildings our best
teacher is often the natural environment.
• With this beginning of the contemporary architecture and a significant shift on the emphasis of concern about
the environment.
• The architects have finally realized that the solution can be established by emulating nature's time-tested patterns
and strategies, e.g., a solar cell inspired by a leaf.
• The core idea is that Nature, creative by necessity, has now solved many of the problems we are grappling with
energy, food production, climate control, non-toxic chemistry, transportation, packaging, and an entire lot more
• Hence, taking motivation from these solutions we see around us every day we have now turned to a new stratum
of designing called Biomimicry.
INFLUENCE OF
BIOMIMICRY ON
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN.
• Nature as Model: The Biomimicry association
and its collaborators they have developed a practical
design tool, called the Biomimicry Design Spiral, for
taking nature as model.
• Nature as Measure: Nature as measure has been
captured in life principles and is embedded in the
evaluate step of the biomimicry design spiral.
• Nature as Mentor: It’s a new way of viewing and
valuing nature and it’s form. It introduces an era
based not on what we can extract from the natural
world, but what we can learn from it.
Shafts of column resemble like a bunch of lotus flower, stood upon circular stone bases, their The invention of velcro, by Georges de
bud shaped capitals creating a silhouette with inverted bell form of an open papyrus flower Mestral, a Swiss engineer
EXPLORE THE RELEVANCE OF BIOMIMICRY AS NATURE
INSPIRED INNOVATION.
PRINCIPLES OF BIOMIMICRY
According to Janine Benyus there are nine basic laws underpinning the concept of biomimicry:
2) Nature uses 3) Nature fits 4) Nature 5) Nature
1) Nature runs
only the form to recycles rewards
on sunlight
energy it needs function everything cooperation
6) Nature 7) Nature 8) Nature 9) Nature taps
banks on demands local curbs excess the power of
diversity expertise form within limits
APPROACHES TO BIOMIMICRY
Architect: Pearce Partnership
CASE STUDIES Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Year of completion: 1996
1. Eastgate Building, Harare, Cost: $35 Million
Zimbabwe Area: 290,625 SF - office space 53,819 SF - retail 3,229 SF – parking
Building type: Mixed-use including retail, food court, and seven floors of office
space
Climate: Subtropical highland climate
Average annual temperature: 64.4° F
Diurnal temperature shift: 12° F
Average annual rainfall: 32.5 inch
CHALLENGE HOW CAN WE DESIGN A BUILDING THAT MINIMIZES THE HIGH COST
OF IMPORTING AND MAINTAINING AIR-CONDITIONING IN
ZIMBABWE?
TERMITE NEST
CONSTRUCTION
Termite tower functions as a lung to the nest
• The hot air goes up and the cold air enters
through smaller vents at the sides of the
termite nest
• Wind and sun shape the tower. Daytime
wind from the southeast evaporates the
pheromones on the most exposed surfaces,
which means the termites work in sheltered
areas only.
FRACTAL
COOLING
• Smooth bodies are better at
absorbing heat and poor emitters of
heat to space at night. Prickly bodies
are poorer absorbers of heat by day
and good emitters of heat at night.
This form allows for a quicker dispersal
of heat, a great technique for warmer
climates.
DEFENSIBLE
SPACE
• services in the middle
• platforms extending across the
courtyard that allows for easy access
through the space
• built-in security
CONCLUSION
Pros Cons
• EASTGATE USES LESS THAN 10% THE • use of large heat storage blocks that could
ENERGY AS A STANDARD OFFICE damp temperatures through the hot day
BUILDING • while using high-powered fans to ‘empty’
• OWNERS SAVE $3.5 MILLION those heat stores during the cool night.
• TENANTS’ RENTS ARE 20% LOWER
THAN SURROUNDING OFFICE
BUILDINGS
BAUHAUS UNIVERSITY
WEIMAR BY
POHL ARCHITECTS
• Address Steubenstraße 6a, 99423
Weimar, Germany
• Year-2002
• Cost-Undisclosed
• Building type:data center of the
University and the Faculty media
• Stories-4
• Climate: temperate climatic zone with
humid westerly winds
ABOUT
• The courtyard facade was given a new, a second
skin. Before the existing brick facade that is
preserved
• The space between the old brick facade and new
glass facade takes on the new main entrance of the
building, the main stairwell, emergency stairwell and
elevator are presented.
• The upstream glass climatic buffer with its
delicacy and transparency has positive influence on
the building energy, since less heat loss in the spring,
autumn and winter in the user cost savings to result.
• The facade acts as a solar chimney facade, which
is heated exclusively by the heat from the server
room.
COLOR WITHOUT
PIGMENTS
• The developed facade system, uses optical effects for producing color
• The technology that provides coloration also provides solar
production. Using holographic-optic elements light is scattered on
the facade.
• The panel developed from the precedent of the butterfly wing consist
of a bound structure of two panes with a micro-structured film
incorporated in between, which scatters the light onto a panel behind
the interspace, on which a thin-layered light absorption sheet is
pressed
• The light scattering elements concentrate the light on the
photovoltaic elements like a lens to produce photovoltaically
supplied energy
INFERENCES • This technology provides a play of colors, enabling different variations by
reflecting light in different directions with the physical effect of diffraction,
comparable to other optical tools such as mirrors, lenses, and prisms. In architecture,
holographic-optic elements can be used for various applications, such as light
redirection, graphic and artistic facades, and shading.
Direct Indirect Case study 1 Case study 2.
Eastgate Building, Harare, Bauhaus University Weimar by
Zimbabwe Pohl Architects
ANALYSIS
Organism level * *
construction * • The building mimics the * The building looks like a
spicks of the cactus in its fascinating blue butterfly
material exterior façade which * which changes colours by the
helps the building to gain period and gives pleasure to
form less heat energy eyes .
process *
function * *
Behavior level * *
construction * Like a termite the building Like a butterfly the building
breadths and serves the also use the same technology
material purpose of passive cooling which plays with the
inside the building refractive index using
form * holographic-optic elements
light is scattered
process * *
function *
Ecosystem level *
construction The building targets to mimic
the ecosystem of the termite
material hill that breaths with the
surrounding environment and
form can achieve a living habitat
process *
function
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• See How Termites Inspired a Building That Can Cool Itself | Decoder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=620omdSZzBs&t=193s
• Architectural secrets of termite mounds by Anusha Krishnan on 28 October 2020
https://india.mongabay.com/2020/10/architectural-secrets-of-termite-mounds/
• Architectural secrets of termite mounds by Anusha Krishnan on 28 October 2020
https://india.mongabay.com/2020/10/architectural-secrets-of-termite-mounds/
• Study by Nikita Zachariah: "Building Mud Castles: Termite Mound Construction across Length and Time Scales"
http://ces.iisc.ac.in/
https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/10/26231733/NikhilMore_IISc_Termites-4-1200x800.jpg
• Case study: Eastgate Building.
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/supporting-diverse-innovation/0/steps/232761
• Biomimicry in Architecture: second edition; by Michael Pawlyn
