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Biomimicry in Architecture (2018)

Contents

1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 1
Biomimicry definition ................................................................................................. 1
Concept........................................................................................................................ 2
2 Historical origins ................................................................................................................ 3
3 Nature inspired Invention ................................................................................................... 6
3.1.1 Flying Machine .................................................................................................... 6
3.1.2 Armoured Car ...................................................................................................... 7
4 Influence of biomimicry on architecture ............................................................................ 8
Principles of Biomimicry ............................................................................................ 8
4.1.1 Approaches to Biomimicry .................................................................................. 9
5 Biomimicry in Architecture .............................................................................................. 11
5.1.1 Structuring Biomimicry, improving Building’s resiliency ................................ 12
6 Case study ......................................................................................................................... 15
Study on lotus temple ................................................................................................ 15
6.1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 15
Concept...................................................................................................................... 15
6.2.1 Geometry ............................................................................................................... 16
6.2.2 Structure................................................................................................................. 17
Material ..................................................................................................................... 17
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 18
7 Literature Study- ............................................................................................................... 19
Aldar Headquarters Building .................................................................................... 19
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 19
The concept .............................................................................................................. 20
7.3.1 The circular shape in architecture: ..................................................................... 20
7.3.2 The harmonic proportions: ................................................................................. 21
7.3.3 Fusion of the façade and the roof:...................................................................... 22
7.3.4 The building’s sustainable strategies: ................................................................ 22
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 22
Beijing Olympic Stadium .......................................................................................... 23
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 23
Concept...................................................................................................................... 23

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Strategies: .................................................................................................................. 24
7.8.1 To provide thermal comfort in the stadium ....................................................... 24
7.8.2 Provide best possible spectator view from all directions. .................................. 24
7.8.3 Complex structural challenges ........................................................................... 25
Structure and Material ............................................................................................... 25
7.9.1 Materials and technologies ................................................................................ 26
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 26
8 Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 27
9 Influence of Biomimicry on Sustainable future ............................................................... 28
Sustainable Architecture ........................................................................................... 28
Biomimicry principles ............................................................................................... 29
9.2.1 Resource (material and energy) efficient ........................................................... 29
9.2.2 Evolve to survive ............................................................................................... 29
9.2.3 Adapt to changing conditions ............................................................................ 29
9.2.4 Integrate development with growth ................................................................... 30
9.2.5 Been locally attuned and responsive .................................................................. 30
9.2.6 Using life-friendly chemistry ............................................................................. 30
Biomimicry to increase sustainability ....................................................................... 30
10 Influence of Biomimicry on climate change ................................................................. 32
10.1.1 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) . 32
10.1.2 Biomimicry mitigative response to climate change in the built environment ... 33
11 What we can learn and emulate from nature? ............................................................... 34
12 Biomimicry in interior architecture .............................................................................. 36
12.1.1 Application of biomimicry in interior architecture ............................................ 38
12.1.2 The future of biomimicry in the interior environment ....................................... 39
13 Biomimicry in Furniture Design ................................................................................... 40
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 40
Biomimicry in Design ............................................................................................... 40
14 Conclusion- ................................................................................................................... 43
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 44

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List of Figure: -
Figure 1- Cave made up with animal bone's (shelter , n.d.)....................................................... 3
Figure 2- A cave formed within mountainous rock (shelter , n.d.) ............................................ 3
Figure 3- Egyptian column’s (virmani, 2014) ........................................................................... 3
Figure 4- Prosses of Sucking Velcro and Velcro plant .............................................................. 4
Figure 5- Velcro plant ................................................................................................................ 4
Figure 6- Leonardo Da Vinci ..................................................................................................... 6
Figure 7- Leonardo Da Vinci Flying machine ........................................................................... 6
Figure 8- Leonardo Da Vinci's Armoured car ........................................................................... 7
Figure 9- Biomimicry design spiral (virmani, 2014) ................................................................. 8
Figure 10-Design spiral : design to biology approach (virmani, 2014) ..................................... 9
Figure 11-Lotus temple ............................................................................................................ 15
Figure 12- Concept of Lotus temple (S.naharoy) .................................................................... 16
Figure 13- Terrace plan (S.naharoy) ........................................................................................ 16
Figure 14- Basic Shape (S.naharoy) ........................................................................................ 16
Figure 15- section (S.naharoy) ................................................................................................. 17
Figure 16- side view of temple ................................................................................................ 18
Figure 17- Site plan (S.naharoy) .............................................................................................. 17
Figure 18- Aldar Headquarters building .................................................................................. 19
Figure 19- Ground floor plan ................................................................................................... 20
Figure 20- Elevation ................................................................................................................ 21
Figure 21- North elevation ....................................................................................................... 21
Figure 22- Beijing Olympic stadium (daily, https://www.archdaily.com, 2008) .................... 23
Figure 23- Structural frame (Arup, 2009) ................................................................................ 23
Figure 24- Seating arrangement (Arup, 2009) ......................................................................... 24
Figure 25- structure (Arup, 2009) ............................................................................................ 24
Figure 26- Top View (Arup, 2009) .......................................................................................... 24
Figure 27 - Beijing Olympic Stadium- Structural detail (virmani, 2014)................................ 25
Figure 28- Interior view of Beijing Olympic Stadium (Arup, 2009) ....................................... 26
Figure 29- Sustainable future ................................................................................................... 28
Figure 30-A spiral shell house (Filiz Tavsana, 2015) .............................................................. 37
Figure 31- Interior of a building ( tree shaped column are used) ............................................ 38
Figure 32- Fiori Divano’s lotus armchair (Filiz Tavsana, 2015) ............................................. 41
Figure 33- Bone chair (Designers, 2014) ................................................................................. 41
Figure 34- Cellular chair (Designers, 2014) ............................................................................ 42
Figure 35- Interlocking leaf seats (Designers, 2014) ............................................................... 42
Figure 36- Plant cell chair (Designers, 2014) .......................................................................... 42

List of Tables: -
Table 1A Framework for the Application of Biomimicry (virmani, 2014) ............................. 10
Table 2- Analytical study of study done .................................................................................. 27

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1 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. The Nature is one of the best
examples of something that is always changing. Our environment's ever shifting nature has
permissible both plant and animal life to grow and adapt to be able to survive. The living things
on this planet have gone through 3.8 billion years of research and development, refining them
into the perfectly appropriate and adapted solutions we see functioning around us today. So, in
our mission to create a more sustainable built world, it makes sense to use the similar concepts
to create a more sustainable and energy efficient buildings
Looking back into the past it can be observed that despite the amount of scientific knowledge
mankind has gathered, nature still holds great mysteries that we may never be able to unravel.
This complexity has continually daunted man. In prevention, we try to control nature by
imposing order. As a result, we have distanced ourselves from the earth, even though our
existence is completely dependent on it. We are now trying to recover our close connection
to nature.

With this beginning of the contemporary architecture and a significant shift on the emphasis of
concern about the environment. A return to acceptance nature as an architectural driver has
been observed in order to bring back a coherent understanding and a spiritual compatibility
between both man and his surroundings that cannot be realized with each as opposing element.
The architects have finally realized that the solution can be established by emulating nature's
time-tested patterns and stmtegies, 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
a 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.

Biomimicry definition

The word biomimicry originates from Greek word bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning
to imitate. In simpler terms, biomimicry is the conscious emulation of nature’s genius. It is a
way to observe nature action and use that knowledge to inspire new ideas.
Biomimicry is an inspiration from nature to solve human problems through the study of natural
designs, systems and processes. Through this we can learn about systems, materials, structure
and how nature is self-sustaining - Nature has already solved many of mechanical and structural
problems without generating any wastage.
Janine Benyus author of the book “biomimicry: innovation inspired by nature” explains about
the science of biomimicry in her book how mimicking designs and strategies found in nature
and how they can help in the way human think in every field and architecture.
She explains that living organisms and engineers have similar goals for creating any structure
in terms of energy. As she explains we can incorporate what living organisms have and we can
use that in our designs.
• How we can make material stronger and self-healing
• For building how we can use natural process and forces.

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Concept

Biomimicry is an old concept as we can look in history from making shelter to making
equipment’s we are being depend on nature.
The nature is self-developing from ancient period we are using biomimicry for our
development/evolution as nature is evolving for itself and for us, we are trying to create new
technology for mankind. This is the basic idea of combing biology and engineering to help
humanity treat nature better and in more harmonious way, so anyone from largest enterprise to
single individual can create better products, and work in harmony with nature for betterment
of our future.

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2 Historical origins

Master builders and Architects have been using as the source of


inspiration from longest time even before the terms Bio inspiration
or Biomimetics/Biomimicry were introduced. Biomimicry is
applying nature’s solutions to human problems. It has observed
humans have mimicked their hunting, shelter and survival
behaviours from animals.
In the earliest prehistoric era, before Man knew how to build Figure 1- Cave made up with animal
shelters, they made use of the nature to provide them with shelter. bone's (shelter , n.d.)
The earliest forms of shelter were trees, where there is minimal
protection against the heat of the sun and the cold of the rain.
The first shelter was believed to made up of tree branches and
stone. Stone were placed to hold the base of branches in place.
Human slowly learned to make simple tools that would help them
to make better structures, and later these structures gradually
evolved in shape and form. Other materials then trees were
bones, huge stone slabs, and even animal skin were used to build Figure 2- A cave formed within
the structures. Caves are another natural form of shelter, which mountainous rock (shelter , n.d.)

provide great protection from


inclement weather.
After building shelter when it’s time
to make it more aesthetically
pleasing, we again took help from
nature. For example, in building
column they were the most
communal imitators of nature, they
often take inspiration from palms,
lotus and papyrus plants. According
to Egyptians hieroglyphs the nature
shapes imitated from a bird’s feather
or whole animal’s silhouette.
Egyptians also associated animals
and plants with their functions and
characters, therefore they often
imitated them as to transmit
information across time. Shafts of
column resemble like a bunch of
lotus flower, stood upon circular
stone bases, their bud shaped capitals
creating a silhouette with inverted
bell form of an open papyrus flower.
The idea of imitating plants and
Figure 3- Egyptian column’s (virmani, 2014) animals is not alone. The imitation

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was not limited to a single example but it has conveyed universal principles of nature that were
shared across all life. “The creation of sacred buildings echoes the creation of the universe, and
both seek to follow similar mathematical laws”.

Though biomimicry has inspired human innovations for decades one of the most often-cited
examples is Velcro, which is discovered by Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral patented in
1955 after studying how burs stuck to his clothes better knowledge and more nuanced
research have enabled increasingly compound adaptions.

Figure 5- Velcro plant Figure 4- Prosses of Sucking Velcro and Velcro plant

Biomimicry isn’t itself a product but a process, drawing on natural organisms and processes in
order to spark innovation. Organizations and even cities can look to ecosystems for inspiration,
says Tim McGee, a biologist and member of Biomimicry 3.8, a Montana-based consultancy.
In Lavasa—described as “India’s first planned hill city” by its developers, who hope to
eventually build homes for more than 300,000 people there—the guild consulted with
landscape architects. Thus, the planting strategy included deciduous trees, forming a canopy to
catch, and then reflect, through evaporation, nearly a third of the monsoon rain that hits it. That
effect acts “like an engine that drives the monsoon inland,” says McGee, which helps prevent
drought there. The hydrodynamically efficient shape of banyan tree leaves influenced the
design of a better water-dispatching roof shingle, while water divestment systems were inspired
by the ways harvester ants’ direct water away from their nests. The first Lavasa “town” has
been completed, with four more projected to follow by 2020

This is as a outcome of its over 3.8 billion years of evolution, making nature an extraordinary
role model for harmonious balance and proportion, encompassing efficiency, collaboration,
resource utilisation, and longevity. While, their sustainability cannot be determined, the
following are early records of iconic nature-inspired innovations, amongst many others:
• Proposed design of flying machines also known as the ornithopter by Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519), where he mentioned bats, kites, and birds as his inspiration sources. Even
though, Leonardo da Vinci only drew the sketches of the ornithopter and never built
one, the first successful flight of a manned ornithopter was recorded in 1942. Since
then, there have been records of successful free-flight, manned, robotic and electrically
powered ornithopters.
• The invention of velcro, by Georges de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, as inspired by the
removable yet easily reattachable attribute of the prickly seed burrs from the burdock

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plant. This idea is what led to the invention of hook and loop fastener, a commercial
product developed after 25 years of discovering Velcro.
• Sir Joseph Paxton’s design of the London’s Crystal Palace at Chatsworth in England,
inspired by the huge leaves of the giant Amazonian water lily and subsequently erected
in the year 1851.

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3 Nature inspired Invention

In the 15th century, Leonardo DaVinci took this this type of imitation
further when he was influenced by birds and created drawings that
portrayed flying machines.

Leonardo Da Vinci borrowed ideas from nature. Most of Leonardo da


Vinci’s Discoveries were relatively sustainable in nature they were later
adapted and evolved into energy consuming ideas. Today these ideas
machines have conquered the lands, seas, sky, and even space but it is
unfortunate that they all consume vast amounts of natural resources for Figure 6- Leonardo Da
its production, lifetime usage and demolition. At the price of Johnson Vinci
Wax building, column natural resources these machines enable humans
to explore space but they are still unable to replant, re-grow and rehabilitate the many
ecosystems that inspired their formation and sustain their existence. These lifeless creatures
that man remains giving birth to are alien to the planet because they are still far from sustainable
integration with the ecosystem. Technology is the tool with which man is gradually taking
away the foundations that helped sustain life on the planet for billions of years and from a
moral standpoint this selfish human act puts man and all life on Earth in danger.

Buildings such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Johnson Wax building (1936-1939) in which the
thin shell concrete and steel-mesh columns inspired by the anatomy of the Staghorn cholla
cactus begin to examine the potentials of the architectural product of biomimicry. Another
example is the Biosphére Montréal, designed by Buckminster Full. Buckminster Fuller
perfected the mathematics to create a large geodesic dome, you can 't help but look at it and
think of the structure in honeycombs. Figure 6 Giant saguaro cacti

We can look at history to find examples of eras that biomimicry emerged in the culture, usually
in the form of a single inventor, like Leonardo da Vinci, Frank Lloyd Wright, Antonio Gaudi,
Frei Otto or Buckminster Fuller. Unfortunately, these were isolated instances, but not the start
of a series. There was no body of work, no scholarship, no cohorts of students trained to be
nature's protégés. And so biomimicry went dormant again. Some of his inventions:

3.1.1 Flying Machine

Leonardo da Vinci’s many areas of study. Da Vinci


seemed truly eager by the possibility of people soaring
through the skies like birds. One of da Vinci’s most
famous inventions is the flying machine (also known
as the "ornithopter") ideally displays his powers of
observation and imagination, as well as his enthusiasm
for the potential of flight. The design for this invention
is clearly inspired by the flight of winged animals,
which da Vinci hoped to replicate. In fact, in his notes,
he mentions bats, kites and birds as sources of
inspiration.
Figure 7- Leonardo Da Vinci Flying machine

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Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine has the pilot lying face down in a winged device that is
obviously inspired by animals capable of flight. It is items such as this which really sets da
Vinci apart from Michelangelo’s inventions. The two wings on da Vinci's flying machine
actually have pointed ends which suggest he had studied the various forms of flight taken by
animals and discovered that bats are one of the most efficient at using their wingspan. To power
the wings the pilot would use pedals to crank a rod and pulley system that was attached to the
wings. He also imagined a separate crank for increased power and a head piece which served
as a steering wheel. Unfortunately, the invention could not be made in practical application as
the single pilot would not be able to create enough power to keep it in the air.

3.1.2 Armoured Car

The precursor to the modern tank, Leonardo da


Vinci’s armoured car invention was capable of
moving in any direction and was equipped with a
large number of weapons. The most famous of da
Vinci’s war machines, the armoured car was
designed to intimidate and scatter an opposing
army.

Da Vinci’s vehicle has a number of light cannons


arranged on a circular platform with wheels that
allow for 360-degree range. The platform is
covered by a large protective cover (much like a
turtle’s shell), reinforced with metal plates, which
was to be slanted to better deflect enemy fire. There
is a sighting turret on top to coordinate the firing of Figure 8- Leonardo Da Vinci's Armoured car
the canons and the steering of the vehicle.

The motion of the machine was to be powered by eight men inside of the tank who would
constantly turn cranks to spin the wheels. Leonardo suggested in his notes that the thought of
using horses for power crossed his mind, but he dismissed it because he feared the animals
would become too unpredictable in the confines of the tank.

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4 Influence of biomimicry on architecture

As we have learned from history that we are taking nature’s inspiration so we should
incorporate in our architectural design too. We have to take nature as a model, measure, and
mentor.
Nature as model:
Biomimicry is a new science that
studies nature's models and then mimic
these forms, process, systems, and
strategies to solve human problems.
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:
Biomimicry uses an ecological
standard for judging the sustainability
of our innovations. After 3. Billion
years of evolution, nature has learned
what lasts and what will work. Nature
as measure has been captured in life
principles and is embedded in the
evaluate step of the biomimicry design
spiral.
Figure 9- Biomimicry design spiral (virmani, 2014)
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.

Principles of Biomimicry

Biomimicry Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine Benyus sets out that there are nine basic
laws underpinning the concept of biomimicry. The biomimicry principles focus exclusively on
nature's attributes; thereby implying that humans have much to learn from the billions of years
of the natural world's evolutionary experience. They are:

1) Nature runs on sunlight


2) Nature uses only the energy it needs
3) Nature fits form to function
4) Nature recycles everything
5) Nature rewards cooperation
6) Nature banks on diversity
7) Nature demands local expertise
8) Nature curbs excess form within

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9) Nature taps the power of limits.

4.1.1 Approaches to Biomimicry

Approaches of biomimicry as a design process gernally fall into two categories- defining a
human need (design problem) and examining the ways that how other organism’s ecosystem
work, examine to biology, or identifying a particular characteristic of organism and
translating it into human design, referred as the biology influencing design.

Figure 10-Design spiral : design to biology approach (virmani, 2014)

Each of these phases is comprehensive, “non-product specific” and is arranged around an


“outward spiral”. Each time one makes a complete revolution around the spiral it solves some
aspect of the problem. Subsequent revolutions refine the results to resolve deeper aspects of
the challenge. Utilizing the biomimetic method with its “small feedback loops” and applying
Life’s Principles to the results can help the designer discover truly sustainable solutions to
design challenges in a unique manner that is unimpeded by linear classic methodologies
Because this is a reiterative process, after it resolves one challenge and evaluates how it
compares to Life’s Principles, most likely another problem appears, and the process begins
again.

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Level of Example - A building that mimics termites:
Biomimicry
The building looks like a termite.
The building is made from the same material as a termite; a material
material that mimics termite exoskeleton / skin.
Organism level The building is made in the same way as a termite; it goes through
construction various growth clues.
(Mimicry of a
specific organism) The building works in the same way as an individual termite; it
process produces drop an efficient through meta- economics.
The building functions like a termite in a larger context; it recycles
function cellulose waste and creates soil.
The building looks like it was made by a termite; a replica of a
form termite mound.
The building is made from the same materials that a termite builds
material with; using dieted fine soil as the material.
The building is made in the same way that a termite would build in;
Behaviour level constitution piling earth in certain laces at certain times.
(Mimicry of how an
organism behaves or The building works in the same way as a termite mound would; by
relates to its larger careful orientation, shape, materials selection and natural
process
context) ventilation for example, or it mimics how termites work to
atmosphere.
The building functions in the same way that it would if made by
termites; internal conditions are regulated to be optimal and
function thermally stable. It may also function in the same way that a
termite mound does in a large context.
form The building looks like an ecosystem (a termite would live in).
The building is made from the same kind of materials that (a
material termite) ecosystem is made of; it uses naturally occurring common
compounds, and water as the chemical medium for exam le.
The building is assembled in the same way as a (termite)
Ecosystem level construction ecosystem; principles of succession and increasing complexity
(Mimicry of an over time are used.
ecosystem) The building works in the same way as a (termite) ecosystem; it
process captures and converts in from the sun and stores water.
The building is able to function in the same way that a (termite)
ecosystem would and forms part of a complex system by utilising
function the relationships between processes; it is able to participate in the
hydrological, carbon, nitro else etc.

Table 1A Framework for the Application of Biomimicry (virmani, 2014)

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5 Biomimicry in Architecture

The need for analysing process of biomimicry is multiple because it is being applied in almost
every scientific and social field of work and research. Since architectural design is primarily
done to satisfy basic human need for shelter, the manner in which it is done has a great social
impact and vice versa. But manner in which biomimicry architectural approach will influence
life of inhabitants of such architecture is still unknown. Trend of returning back to the nature
in the sense of creating more nature friendly buildings is gaining momentum, with biomimicry
being the most advanced in the line of holistic approaches to design.
It is important for architectural design to consider social aspects for it will ultimately influence
people and behaviour, relationships and influences between entities and its environment. It is
crucial for architects to follow biomimicry approach, in order to evaluate if this kind of design
satisfies its basic function – to be used by the inhabitants. As it reflects the challenge of creating
more equitable life on earth, our focus is shifting; from artefacts to systems, from transactions
to relationships, from design as craft to design as thinking, from habits of destruction to
awareness of the need for resilience.
The basic principles and advances in field of biomimicry architectural design and examine all
dimensions that it will inevitable influence, environment, economy and science, in order to
make a prediction on how will this kind of architecture affect the surrounding community or
life of building inhabitants in general.
Methodology of this paper will be examination of latest researches and estimations in the
mentioned areas. Each dimension, environment, economy and science, will be inspected in
reference to the manner in which it will influence human living.
It is expected that this research will provide information related to the magnitude of change
that biomimicry design will have on human living. Also, it will identify areas of economy,
science and environment that architecture needs to take into consideration in order to improve
its performance and create nature responsible buildings. It will provide information on how
biomimicry design can create architecture with maximum comfort for the inhabitants with the
least impact on the environment, while being economically efficient
Fundamental theories and models about the topic to understand the theory of biomimicry we
must look at the other theories that had been developed with similar objectives, such as nature-
based design. Natural processes and unity of eco-system is what architecture should aspire.
Basis for realization of the biomimicry theory are technological achievements, biotechnology
and nanotechnology. If we look at the biomimicry from sociological aspect, we can say that is
absolutely inclined to nature and human needs. Biomimicry is not only "a new way of viewing
and valuing nature" it is also a new way of valuing human needs. It is based on following
frameworks:
Sustainable Development and green design concepts are the foundation of biomimicry.
Architectural professional accepted the fact that as a society’s economic status improves, its
demand for architectural resources land, buildings or building products, energy, and other
resources will increase. This in turn increases the combined impact of architecture on the global
ecosystem, which is made up of inorganic elements, living organisms, and humans. The goal

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of sustainable design is to find architectural solutions that guarantee the well-being and
coexistence of these three constituent groups. (Kim, 1998)
Theory of Natural Capitalism is a new business model that involves four major and
synergistic elements (P., Lovins, & Hunter Lovins, 2000) Radical resource productivity -
Radically increased resource productivity is the cornerstone of natural capitalism because using
resources more effectively has three significant benefits: It slows resource depletion at one end
of the value chain, lowers pollution at the other end, and provides a basis to increase worldwide
employment with meaningful jobs. Ecological redesign Reducing the wasteful throughput of
materials—indeed, eliminating the very idea of waste—can be accomplished by redesigning
industrial systems on biological lines that change the nature of industrial processes and
materials, enabling the constant reuse of materials in continuous closed cycles, and often the
elimination of toxicity. Service and flow. This calls for a fundamental change in the
relationship between producer and consumer, a shift from an economy of goods and purchases
to one of service and flow. In essence, an economy that is based on a flow of economic services
can better protect the ecosystem services upon which it depends. Reinvestment in natural
capital. This works toward reversing worldwide planetary destruction through reinvestments
in sustaining, restoring, and expanding stocks of natural capital, so that the biosphere can
produce more abundant ecosystem services and natural resources.
Cradle to Cradle or Regenerative Design is a holistic economic, industrial and social
framework that seeks to create systems that are efficient and essentially waste free. It promoted
the idea of industry protecting and enriching ecosystems and nature's biological metabolism
while also maintaining a safe, productive technical metabolism. It is based on three
fundamental ideas Waste Equals Food, Use Current Solar Income and Celebrate Diversity.
(Strandesen& Bjorn)
Biomimicry theory differs from other theories which are bio-oriented. Very often design
approaches that are bio-assisted are classified under the theory of biomimicry. Biomimicry in
design is in many ways different from what it is in other theories. What makes biomimicry
different from other theories is quest for solutions in nature. Biomimicry is natural symbiosis
of form and process where nature is not only a source of aesthetic value.

5.1.1 Structuring Biomimicry, improving Building’s resiliency

The major earthquakes throughout the world have verified the inefficiency of the current
building architype and have warned building architects to adapt structures in order to withstand
future seismic events. Heavy materials for construction such as concrete and masonry, some
unsustainable approach for structure’s construction and its dangerous vulnerability due to the
existence of great percentage of structures designed and constructed following poor seismic
regulations or even built without professional assistance.

Imitating nature has become a meaningful approach for contemporary architects and design
futurists to the built environment, especially for those who foster a future that doesn’t compete
with nature but coexist with it. At the light of recent natural disasters around the world,
especially those geologically associated such as tsunamis and earthquakes, which have proven
its destruction power over the current built environment; architects and structural engineers
have found in biomimicry an ecological approach in order to improve future building’s disaster
resilience.

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Bio-Structural Analogues in Architecture, by the Singaporean architect Joseph Lim (2009)


emphasize that “central to the idea of a design strategy in developing the architectural concept,
is a form of technological thinking which drew inspiration from other forms of knowledge”.
Scientific thinking on architecture has leaded a bottom-up approach for resilient structure’s
design. As wrote by the biologist D’Arcy W. Thompson, every form in Nature is essentially
the product of the diagram of forces acting on it or which have acted on it. That technological
feature of the living structures proves to be a resilient parameter of its morphology, basically
because its tessellation grows in intrinsic relationship with the ecosystem and its natural flows.

Present built structures are unresponsive to the Earth dynamics and aren’t completely adapted
to the ecosystem flows of forces. This fact leads to an important concern of the global building
industry about its resiliency capacity toward the future and its potential dangers by natural
hazards. Geological associated hazards have caught great attention by the design community
at important forums throughout the world. Recent major earthquakes throughout the world have
proven the inefficiency of the current building paradigm and have warned building
professionals to adapt structures in order to withstand future seismic events. Principles of a Bio
Tectonic Culture master degree thesis takes Puerto Rico as a laboratory for the design of
biomimicry-driven structures made of reinforced concrete in order to improve its resilient
output.

Puerto Rico is a great case study model due to the active seismic faults around the island, the
predominance of heavy materials for construction such as concrete and masonry, some
unsustainable approach for structure’s construction and its dangerous vulnerability due to the
existence of great percentage of structures designed and constructed following poor seismic
regulations or even built without professional assistance. Puerto Rico has a particular
environment, it is located at the boundary of two tectonic plates (the Caribbean plate and the
North American plate) having the potential to produce a major earthquake with magnitude 8.0
or greater. In fact, according to the US Geological Service (USGS), at least four major
earthquakes have been affected the island until 1918. Besides, Puerto Rico vulnerability
combines dangerously with the fact that those buildings designed before the implementation of
the 1987 Puerto Rico Building Code may be considered as inadequate to resist earthquakes
events. Under this premise approximately 70%~80% of existing structures could be under risk.

Although present construction at the island includes all required seismic codes, there are still
some design-construction principles that can be optimized in order to improve the building
adaptation to a seismic event. Besides, concrete structures in Puerto Rico needs to adapt
congruently to the current ecological trends in order to reduce pollution associated with cement
fabrication. For the thesis proposal, such kind of resiliency standard was achieved focusing on
a structural design concept inspired by the performance and material efficiency of a “state of
the art” static model bio-structure: the human skeleton.

The research proposal aims to produce a concrete structure driven by the natural flow of the
force generated by an earthquake within the material. Such kind of desired “force-driven form”
founds great resemblance with organic bones. The human body and its skeleton adapts
according to function and loads that are normally encountered. Because of these loads, for
instance, femur bones in legs becomes thicker and bigger than other bone because it has to
carry out about 63 percent of the body weight. In result, the compact tissue in each particular
bone becomes thicker where it experiments greater loads, and decrease density according to
loads declining. That technological feature translates each bone’s diagram of force into its
morphology.

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The human femur, the longest and strongest skeleton bone, provides optimum technology
parameters for the design of structures located in seismic zones. The femur’s hollow shaft
design provides maximum strength with minimum weight, ideal design features in order to
reduce the seismic intensity on a structure. Using biomimicry principles, the research achieves
the architecture of an adapted structural system of reinforced concrete capable to withstand,
not only gravity loads, but lateral loads such as earthquake’s loads, in a more efficient way than
a conventional structure.

As a matter of fact, reinforced concrete was conceived emulating a bone structural property
where the collagen provides tension resistance such as steel bars, and mineral provides
resistance to compression such as concrete. The type of loads which experiments the femur are
very similar to those in typical beams and columns: tension, compression and bending. Then,
the bio-structural parameters selected from the femur includes the mid-diaphysis (middle-cross
section) geometrical properties associated with its maximum stress resistance value (about
4,000 pounds per square inch); and its response to mechanical stress, according to the Wolff’s
law, which implies that a bone’s anatomy reflects the common stresses it encounters. The
proposal undertakes those biological features of the femur bone to extrapolate morphogenetic
parameters to the building structure in order to improve contextual integration and encourage
better use of concrete.

Based in the bio-tectonic technological features extrapolated from the femur, the product
achieved was a non-prismatic lightweight component deeply related to the bending-moment
diagram of the typical frames which is normally generated by the effect of the lateral loads.
Hence, the earthquake typical effect on the frame becomes a key parameter to its morphology
design. Furthermore, due to the same principles, a lighter frame was obtained which also
represents an achievement because implies the decline of the earthquake general intensity on
the building. The structure proposal achieves a force-driven morphology implying some grade
of mechanical resilience, and ecological adaptation.

According to computational analysis, such proposal becomes highly efficient for seismic
vulnerable zones because the total base shear (earthquake force intensity) was reduced due to
the effect of lateral loads. Furthermore, the proposed architecture implies a reduction of
concrete use for structures which also means a reduction of CO2 emissions. This fact becomes
very important considering that concrete is responsible for 7 to 10 percent of global carbon
dioxide emissions, making it the third largest contributor to Global Warming after
transportation and power generation. Current trends indicate that the future of the building
industry would be greatly associated to Nature and the living technologies. Structuring
biomimicry is an effort to provide the building’s structures with the capacity to be responsive
to environment in real time such as the living structures are. Furthermore, it is the definition of
a novel paradigm which adapts current inert materials for construction to its exosystemic
surroundings in order to improve the built environmental resiliency.

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6 Case study

As architects, we can take advantage from biomimicry to make our buildings better by pushing
for more natural, combined, efficient and healthy solutions. We also need to take a look at the
role aesthetics plays in nature with the way function and form so synergistically merge. Perhaps
this is a way for buildings to harmonize with nature in renewed ways making built
environments more environmentally sound and healthy for occupants
Nature can teach us about systems, materials, processes, structures and aesthetics (just to name
a few). By delving more deeply into how nature solves problems that we experience today, we
can extract timely solutions and find new directions for our built environments.

Study on lotus temple

Location- New Delhi, India


Architect- Fariborz sahba
Architectural Style- Expressionist
Construction Period- 13 November
1980 – 24 December 1986
Height- 34.27 meters (112.4 ft.)
Capacity- 1,300

6.1.1 Introduction Figure 11-Lotus temple

It’s Baha’i house of worship which is dedicated to public worship, so their doors are open for
all types of religions and faiths. Each component is repeated nine times. The temple looks like
a half-opened lotus flower, afloat surrounded by its leaves.
The main temple is consisting of the worship house, the ancillary block- reception centre,
administrative block and library. It’s also consisted of basement to accommodate the electrical
and plumbing service for assembly area there is lotus shaped superstructure. All around the
lotus there are walkways with balustrades, bridges and stairs which is all surrounded by nine
pools which represent the floating leaves of the lotus. The pool also helps for cooling process
of the building. The temple is surrounded by gardens and its location in the centre of the ponds
creates the impression of a giant lotus flower floating on the water. The external covering of
white marble ensures the building is visible from a distance and shines with the rays of the sun.

Concept

The concept is developed from flower which symbolises purity. The site was located in Delhi
which was known for its rich tradition. Before starting the project, the architect Fariborz sahba
had travelled around the India to study the country architecture, in that he realised the lotus
flower played an important role. The objective of representing concept of purity and freshness
design of the Delhi temple in the form of lotus flower. The temple looks like a semi-opened
lotus flower floating and surrounded by its leaves

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Figure 12- Concept of Lotus temple (S.naharoy)

6.2.1 Geometry

The concept of the lotus flower, has conceived by the architect, the geometry had to be
converted into definable geometrical shapes such as spheres, cylinders, toroid and cones. The
basic shape of lotus flower is used which is converted into definable form and then these shapes
were used for making basic structural analysis and engineering drawings.

Figure 14- Basic Shape (S.naharoy) Figure 13- Terrace plan (S.naharoy)

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6.2.2 Structure

The building is in reinforced concrete twenty-seven


structure in the shape of petals, are clad in marble, all are
arranged in group of three which are repeated to create the
nine faces. All the Baha’I house share similar architectural
elements such as circular in shape with nine sides specified
in Bahá’í’s scriptures. It also state that no painting, statue,
image, pulpit or altar can be added to it’s architectural
element.
Petals of the entrance and outer leaves are created by the
shell on each side to the entrance-ways and outer leaves are
formed by spheres which have different radii. In interior
there is group of spheres which are fixed for structural
consideration. Inner leaves are composed of an edge and Figure 15- section (S.naharoy)
valley, the inner leaves have q thickness of two metres, and
a height of 34.4 metres over the platform. Lower level leaf, is maximum 14 metres.
The arches have almost the entire structural load temple the interior space is being supported
by nine arches which spread outwards of the central hall, the form of these arches is flat, conical
and cylindrical.

Material

The temple is constructed in marble and concrete so that it can be visible from distance. All 27
petals are clad in Rajasthani Macrana, the dolomite clay which is from Alwar, and white silica
sand from Jaipur. The structure is made up of cement which is pre-fabricated.

Figure 16- Site plan (S.naharoy)

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Before finalizing for marble and concrete for


construction various alternative were considered like
steel, considering that the steel structures are framed with
bolted joints with high precision. The reinforcement used
in structural framework of the white concrete shells, the
cables is galvanised so that appearance of covering block
which could cover the exposed surface of the shells, in
internal layer they have used steel spacers supported by
the exterior framework.
Figure 17- side view of temple

Conclusion

The Baha’I are known for their purity, so the Architect Fariborz sahba took the concept very
carefully the lotus flower which is symbol of purity in Hindu culture. The material also chosen
wisely makrana marble from Rajasthan has been taken which is also used to construct Taj
Mahal so that purity of marble can be seen and concrete for construction.
In this architect have taken lotus flower as lotus is pure and most religious flower which is
needed in design so he integrated those points which he learns from it and material and
construction technique plays a great role in execution.

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7 Literature Study-

A literature case study helps us study the design philosophy of the architect and do a detailed
analysis. By doing so we get a clear picture of the pros and cons of the design that might have
an effect on our design as well. gives us a vague idea about the topic, it gives the
comparative analysis between geographical conditions, social conditions, requirement,
material, environment, standards, behaviour etc.
For analysing Biomimicry in architecture, I have chosen different building so that I can have
a comparative analysis study of how they are different or similar to each other. In India there
are only few biomimicry buildings, so for knowing scope I have taken some buildings all
around the world who stands out the most in Biomimicry concept I have taken in literature
case study and we can have a knowledge of materials, process, structure how shapes of nature
can be integrated, what strategies’ were used at the time of designing and construction, and
how nature can solve our problem.

Aldar Headquarters Building

Location- Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi


United Arab Emirates
Architects- MZ Architects
Height- 110 meter
Total Area- 666,000 sq. ft
Building Type- Commercial offices
Year of Construction- 2010
Figure 18- Aldar Headquarters building
Introduction

This iconic commercial building of height 121m headquarters property developer Aldar of Abu
Dhabi. Designed in Qatar by MZ & Partners in 2005. The project was developed following the
principles of the American system of classification of U.S. Green Building Council LEED, and
offers 62,000 m2 of office space over 23 floors.
The building Aldar Headquarter received several awards and recognitions, including the “Best
Futuristic Design” award by The Building Exchange (BEX), and Silver LEED as green
building Green Building Council (USA)
Aldar Headquarters has a distinctive design and innovative building facades hemispherical
comprising two circular shaped convex, joined by a narrow strip of corrugated glass. This
iconic structure is completely circular fully glazed elevation and curve in all other respects.

Its curved glass facades, not only reflect around projects and the new and vibrant city where he
was born, but also enables us to face his own image and the image of a much larger universe.

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It is a space that captivates visitors during the day and exposed their activities in the evening
along with the reflections of the environment.

A small bright spot that rises from the water and becomes a giant mirror of the world and an
area of Abu Dhabi. His presence is shaped by their environment and changes in the cycle of
the sun that continually encourages your skin.

123.000m2 construction including foundation, dedicated 61.900m2 offices, spread over 23


floors that can accommodate 120,000 people. Plants vary between 1.700 and 2.700m2, with
large column-free spaces and three underground floors with capacity for 1184 vehicles.

Figure 19- Ground floor plan

The concept

The Aldar Headquarters designed by MZ Architects has a distinctive and innovative design,
the concept is a sea shell a semi spherical building comprising two circular convex shaped
facades linked by a narrow band of indented glazing. This iconic fully glazed structure is
completely circular in elevation and curved in all other directions.

7.3.1 The circular shape in architecture:

The Circle symbolizes unity, stability, rationality. It is also the symbol of infinity, without
beginning or end, perfection, the ultimate geometric symbol. It represents a completeness
which encompasses all space and Time. The Sphere, the 2-dimentional circle, is hailed by
Boullée as the ideal and perfect form since no trick of perspective can alter its appearance.

Inspired by the symbolism of the Circle and the Sphere, architects have used the geometric
round shape in their building designs since the beginning of time. The circular shape of the
tholos, the Greek temple with a round ground plan rather than a square or rectangular one, is
not unusual in Greek architecture and has also been used later on in the Roman building
typology.

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In 1784, Boullée conceived his most emblematic project: The Cenotaph for Isaac Newton
which would have taken the form
of an immense sphere 150 m high,
mirroring the universe, and
embedded in a circular base. This
structure remained however a
sketch and was never built

Throughout the modern history of


architecture, architects have also
been designing and realizing
circular-based buildings, round
towers as well as domes and
spheres used notably in the
development of planetaria and
theatres. The circular shape has
always been used in the ground and
floor plans with the traditional
building elevation and roof. Figure 20- Elevation
However, no one has attempted to
build a structure completely circular in elevation.

7.3.2 The harmonic proportions:

To bring the massive circular concept to life, the issues of visual stability, harmony and
dynamism proved to be crucial. The real challenge of the façade was to find the two points
where the building should pose on the ground – and for that, the development of the volume
began by using one of the oldest rules in architecture: the rule of proportion based on the
Golden Section.

The golden section is not merely an aesthetic proportion important to artists, but an omnipresent
cosmic principle that induces structural
differentiation. Indeed, this ratio appears in
the works of nature (such as the human
body, the bodies of animals, plants and
crystals) and is naturally preferred by the
human mind and eye. The proportions of the
Greek temple reflect the pleasing aesthetic
ratio of the golden section.

When applying the golden section ratio to


the circular façade of the building, the circle
was divided into a pentagram, on which the
Human Body is juxtaposed with head and
four limbs at the five points of the
pentagram. Accordingly, the architects were
able to locate the two points of stability of
the circular facade; the two points of the
Figure 21- North elevation

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circle where the building will meet the earth thus creating the perfect balance.

7.3.3 Fusion of the façade and the roof:

Unlike the conventional four-sided buildings, the circular building challenges the approach to
construction by questioning the typical roof structure. This three faceted building relies on its
zipper-like element, a continuous glass and structural band that stitches the two main facets
together, creating a slim continuous surface that is both vertical and horizontal, side and face,
window and roof. This lateral element, the structural ‘backbone’ of the project, brilliantly
creates the fusion between façade and roof and allows for the monolithic shape of the object.

7.3.4 The building’s sustainable strategies:

The project was developed in line with the US Green Building Council LEED rating system.
It is one of the first eco-friendly official buildings in Abu Dhabi, which is made up of
recyclable kind of materials like steel, concrete and glass, and includes a district cooling
plant, as well as efficient lighting and water systems. The building maximizes natural light,
with meeting areas and offices spread around the perimeter of each floor. A subterranean
automated vacuum waste collection system is also incorporated to reuse all the waste
products of the building. The first of its kind in Abu Dhabi, the system sucks rubbish directly
to a local waste transfer station for recycling and compacting.
This construction was completed by keeping the environmental factors in mind, now it is
capable to achieve the lowest LEED silver rating award by US Green Building Council. The
building's efficiency is classed as 82%, making it the most efficient design for the floor area.

Conclusion

It is a commercial building which has followed the guide lines of green building design and
LEED. It has also one of the futuristic building. In this biomimicry has taken both conceptual
and visual level the shape of sea shell has been mimicked and the sustainability of nature has
been taken by making building sustainable.
The circle shape has been taken because it symbolizes the unity, stability, and infinity.
Material like steel, concrete, and glass is used and it includes district cooling plant and
efficient lightning and water system.

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Beijing Olympic Stadium

Location- Beijing, China


Architects- Herzong and de Meuron
Height- 69.2 meters
Capacity- 80,000
Total Area- 250,000 sq.m.
Building Type- National sports
Venue
Year of Construction- 2002-08
Figure 22- Beijing Olympic stadium (daily, https://www.archdaily.com, 2008)

Introduction

The magnificent stadium is also known as “Birds Nest” the main objective of this stadium is
Olympic games, the opening and closing ceremonies. The design of it ensures that all viewer
is close as possible so that they can have a clear sight line.
The national stadium was for the 2008 Olympic game most prominent structure, recognised all
over the world.
• A stadium capacity of approximately 100,000 people during the games (to be reduced
to about 80 000 afterwards),
• A retractable roof,
• A multi-functional project, to efficiently incorporate a range of uses in the future; and
• An emphasis on green building and progressive technology.

Concept

The stadium design was inspired by the


conception of nesting birds. The architects
have succeeded in translating the concept, so
that their work on the project soon gained the
nickname “bird’s nest” almost spontaneously
among the Chinese population.
The design is based on the nests of birds, not
only aesthetically but also at a structural
level. The entire structure, visible from the
outside, mirrors the branches of the nests that
working together with each other achieve
unimaginable resistance to the elements.
At the center of the area that also houses other
Olympic structures, the stadium seems to be Figure 23- Structural frame (Arup, 2009)
perched like a spaceship, with a quiet majesty
whose appeal is given by its slight undulation.

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Strategies:

These are the strategies which have been used during the planning and the construction of the
stadium. Which make the construction and comfort of such a complex structure easy.

7.8.1 To provide thermal comfort in the stadium

The Exterior Shell — Magnified Cushions as a Filler


As birds stuff the spaces between the woven branches of their nests with a soft filler, the spaces
in the structure of stadium are occupied with ETFE cushions. On the roof, the cushions are

Figure 24- Seating arrangement (Arup, 2009)

mounted on the outside of the structure to ensure the roof is completely waterproof. Though
the rainwater is collected for rainwater restoration the sunlight filters through the luminous roof
so that the lawn can have essential sunlight. On the façade, the inflated cushions will be
mounted inside the structure where it is necessary, example- for providing wind protection. All
other facilities- suites, restaurants, restrooms and shops are all self-contained units, it is
possible to do many things without solid, enclosed façade. Natural ventilation of the stadium
is the most important aspect for sustainable stadium design.

7.8.2 Provide best possible spectator view from all directions.

Sight lines and spectator viewing: The almost circular footprint enhances the viewing and
atmosphere by bringing all the viewers as close to the action as possible. The viewpoints are
designed without any interruption to induce the image of bowl. The evenly constructed shape
servers to emphasis attention on the spectators and the events on the field. the facility provides
good ease, excellent views and good atmosphere.

Figure 25- structure (Arup, 2009)


Figure 26- Top View (Arup, 2009)

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Figure 27 - Beijing Olympic Stadium- Structural detail (virmani, 2014)

7.8.3 Complex structural challenges

Since the entire structure is constructed of steel and concrete with a combined weight of around
50,000 tonnes. Hence, Computer simulation, synchronized control and structure monitoring
techniques were all used to ensure accurate operation, even unloading and timely observation.
All these provided for a structure that mutually supported each other and converged into a grid-
like formation — almost like a bird's nest with its interwoven twigs. To form a structure largely
dominated by large spans and digital screens.

Structure and Material

Besides the aesthetic value of this network, we must emphasize the role of the structural
elements of metal, which are interlacing and are mutually supporting. Although it produces the
impression of a casual and almost natural course, the meeting of the various elements and the
direction we take in the nest, are the result of precise calculations.

The steel structure had to be supported by 176 hydraulic jacks during its construction while the
structure was not capable of self-sustainment. Each crane was capable of holding 300 tons,
each with an accuracy of one millimetre. Later, the hydraulic jacks were removed at once to

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check the stability of the structure of the stadium. The special features of this stadium, which
was the main stage of the 2008 Olympics, suggest it being completely closed. In fact, in
correspondence with the central area, the ceiling is a transparent membrane, through which
passes the light from outside. The remaining part of the structure is covered by a translucent
layer that protects it from adverse weather and a second layer of acoustic insulation.

To the architecture of Herzog & de Meuron, attentive to the materials and implementing new
solutions, this project has also become an opportunity for experimentation and research, both
during the “creative” stage as during its work.The set of materials that form the structure of the
complex exceed 44,000 tons.

7.9.1 Materials and technologies

In the natural world biological materials


play an Important role in attaining
structural and functional integrity. In the
last few eras, a great number of natural
materials have been Precedence explored
by scientists and engineers such as rice
leaves, lotus leaves, butterfly wings,
water strider legs, fish scales, insect
compound eyes, red rose petals, spider
silks, brittle stars, nacre, gecko feet, glass
sponges, mussels, and others in the belief
to achieve most efficient multifunctional
structures, i.e., functional integration.
The improved biological solution should
give us inspiration and design principles
for the structure of multifunctional.
Inspiration artificial resources with multi-
scale structures.

Figure 28- Interior view of Beijing Olympic Stadium (Arup, 2009)


Conclusion

This stadium was constructed for Olympic games 2008, so it should be stand out like other
Olympic stadium so Architect Herzong and De Meuran took help from nature, the concept of
the stadium is bird’s nest, they have bound all the building in such a manner that it can hold up
to 1000,000 people during games as like nest holds all the eggs. Bird binds his nest without
any binding material.
Basic material is steel which has supported 176 hydraulic jacks and make this complex
structure possible.

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8 Analysis

Name of Inspiration Material used Application Level of


building Biomimicry
Lotus temple Lotus Makrana marble Lotus flower has Organism level
(Delhi) And taken as the
Concrete form of the
building to add
the visual purity
to the concept.
Aldar Sea shell Steel, glass and Visual and Organism level
Headquarters concrete conceptual level
Building (Qatar) of biomimicry
has been taken
Beijing Olympic Bird’s nest Steel Shape of the Organism level
Stadium bird’s nest has
been taken and
the binding
quality of bird’s
nest.
Table 2- Analytical study of study done

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9 Influence of Biomimicry on Sustainable future

With the population growth and the lack of land in the inner cities, the average building height
is increasing. Unravelling living or working places from the ground and placing them in height,
solves the scarcity of land in the big cities but it also splits people from nature and ground. On
the other hand, high-rise buildings have critical environmental impacts such as carbon dioxide
emission and high-energy consumption. One advanced approach to achieve harmonious
coexistence between human society and nature is biomimicry. Architects have considered
nature as a great source of inspiration for centuries. Nature provides creative solutions for
human problems. Biomimicry claims that nature is the most effective source of innovation for
designers. Biomimicry is a motivation for intelligent and innovative engineering for
minimalizing or eliminating the negative impact of the construction industry on the
environment and attainment overall sustainability of the buildings. In this regard, this paper
studies different approaches and levels of biomimicry that have evolved during recent years,
exemplifies, and discusses three tall buildings that biomimicry principles are applied in their
design.

Sustainable Architecture

Sustainable buildings are causing environmental


interference as possible, such as, the use of friendly
environmental materials that do not create- a health
hazard, renewable energy use, low energy
requirements, high-quality and longevity as a
recommendation for construction, and last, an
economical operation”. In sustainable architecture,
the building relates with the environment and
adapts itself to the climate conditions. According
to Richard Rogers, the buildings are similar to the
birds that they dress their feathers in winter to Figure 29- Sustainable future
adapt to the new condition and to regulate their
metabolism. The benefit of sustainable construction to the natural environment and human
health is irrefutable. As Kim JJ, Rigdon B definite there are three fundamental levels of
sustainability in architecture: reducing resource consumption that deals with reusing and
recycling natural resources used in construction, designing based on life cycle which presents
a way to analyse construction process and its impact on environment, and human design that
focuses on the interaction between human and the natural world.
The basic principles of sustainable architecture
• Locational, functional, and structural solutions need to be selected in harmony with
the local conditions, such as topography, water surfaces, microclimate, soil
composition, flora etc.
• Size must be limited, with the footprint, i.e. the reduction of used green areas.
• Natural features must be improved and it is advisable to use renewable energy
resources such as solar energy, wind, biomass etc.

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• The daily use must be carefully planned, otherwise the building cannot be considered
biological.
• Building structures, hygienic systems, substitute ways of construction are to employ
environment-friendly building material and consider biological construction theories.
• Environment-conscious ventilation, material, energy consumption must be observed
in the effective of the building as well.
• Recycling materials, protecting water in different ways such as harvesting rainwater,
and recycling grey water.

Biomimicry principles

In the book by Janine M. Benyus titled Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, nine
principles of nature were enumerated, which are also the basic principles supporting concept
of biomimicry. They are the following: nature uses only the energy it needs, nature runs on
sunlight, nature recycles everything, nature fits form to function, nature banks on diversity,
nature rewards cooperation, nature demands local expertise, nature taps the power of limits,
and nature curbs excesses from within. These principles are abstracted biological approaches,
some of which are understandable and self-explanatory, that can be found in most of the
organisms and which empower life to be successful in regenerating itself. They are creative
common tools through which biomimetic designs, materials, and applications are estimated for
sustainability. They are important checklists to be followed to in ensuring the application of
biomimicry resulting in sustainable outcomes. According to the Biomimicry Group, the six
major principles of biomimicry and their constituting twenty-three principles are:

9.2.1 Resource (material and energy) efficient

This is skilfully and conservatively taking advantage of resources and opportunities. It


consists of four principles, namely using multifunctional design (meet multiple needs with
one elegant solution); using low energy processes (minimise energy consumption by reducing
requisite temperatures, pressures, and/or time for reactions); recycling all materials (keep all
materials in a closed loop); and fitting form to function (select shape or pattern based on
need).

9.2.2 Evolve to survive

This is the continuous incorporation and embodying of information to ensure enduring


performance. It consists of three principles, namely replicating strategies that work (repeat
successful approaches); integrating the unexpected (incorporate mistakes in ways that can lead
to new forms and functions); and information reshuffling (exchange and alter information to
create new options).

9.2.3 Adapt to changing conditions

This is appropriately responding to dynamic contexts. It consists of five principles, namely


maintaining integrity through self-renewal (persist by constantly adding energy and matter to
heal and improve the system); embodying resilience through variation, redundancy, and
decentralisation (maintain function following disturbance by incorporating a variety of
duplicate forms, processes, or systems that are not located exclusively together); and
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incorporating diversity (include multiple forms, processes, or systems to meet a functional


need).

9.2.4 Integrate development with growth

This entails optimally investing and engaging in strategies that promote both development and
growth. It also consists of three principles, namely combining modular and nested components
(fit multiple units within each other progressively from simple to complex); building from the
bottom up (assemble components one unit at a time); and self-organising (create conditions to
allow components to interact in concert to move toward an enriched system).

9.2.5 Been locally attuned and responsive

This is fitting into and integrating with the surrounding environment. It consists of five
principles, namely using readily available materials (build with abundant, accessible
materials); harnessing freely available energy (use of solar/renewable energy); cultivating
cooperative relationships (find value through win-win interactions); leveraging cyclic
processes (take advantage of phenomena that repeat themselves); and using feedback loops
(engage in cyclic information flows to modify a reaction appropriately).

9.2.6 Using life-friendly chemistry

This entails the use of chemistry that supports life processes. It also consists of three principles,
namely building selectively with a small subset of elements (assemble relatively few elements
in elegant ways); breaking down products into benign constituents (use chemistry in which
decomposition results in no harmful by-products); and doing chemistry in water (use water as
solvent).

Biomimicry to increase sustainability

Built environment is held responsible for environmental and social problems like excessive
waste production, energy, and material use, and greenhouse gas emission attributed to the
habitat’s humans have created for themselves. With this rapid development of urban
construction, a mechanism should be applied to reduce these harmful effects. Biomimicry
suggests innovative and eco-friendly approaches that can provide compatible and flexible
solutions. Any organism in nature avoids excesses and overbuilding, attains maximum
efficiency with minimum material and energy. Nature recycles everything and finds a use for
everything, adapts itself to local conditions, runs on the sun and other natural sources of energy,
and uses only the energy and resources that it needs. Biomimicry provides a wide range of
solutions for structural efficiency, water efficiency, zero-waste systems, thermal environment,
and energy supply, which are essential for any sustainable building design. Nature itself is a
great mentor for living in harmony with it, for instance, we can learn from plants that how they
make use of air pollution and convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Considering biomimicry
levels (organism, behaviour and ecosystem), mimicking an organism alone without mimicking
how it is able to take part in the larger context of the ecosystem it is in, has the possibility to
produce designs without environmental impact. Because mimicking organisms is just a specific
feature, for instance, designing a building in the form of cacti (simple shape imitation) may not
increase building overall sustainability. In behaviour level biomimicry, the behaviour of the

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organism is mimicked. In this level, designers have to figure out if the organism behaviour is
suitable for human beings to imitate, and which part its behaviour will increase building
sustainability. For example, mimicking the building behaviour (and outcome of that) of
termites might be appropriate for the creation of passively regulated thermally comfortable
buildings. Mimicking the social structure of termite colonies would not be suitable however if
universal human rights are valued. Ecosystem level biomimicry has the advantage of being
used along with other levels of biomimicry (organism and behaviour). It can also be used in
different temporal and spatial scales. This approach has the potential to be used in two
metaphoric and practical level. Designers with little ecological knowledge can apply
metaphoric level in their design, but still there is a chance of increasing building sustainability
as said. On the contrary, profound understanding of ecology and biology is required for using
ecosystem biomimicry in practical level so this makes it difficult for the architects to use this
complex level of biomimicry.

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10 Influence of Biomimicry on climate change

Among the global problems, climate change is often cited as the most serious threat facing
humanity as the impacts now affect all countries and regions around the world, albeit in
different and uncertain ways. In the progress towards rapid urbanisation, statistics has shown
that human activities contribute heavily towards environmental degradation and pollution. The
importance of plants and equipment in the delivery of infrastructural project objectives seems
to be increasing on a daily basis, all in a bid to match and sustain the growth. However, the fuel
and energy used to power these plants and the resulting exhausts/emissions negatively impact
the environment. Today, we primarily use fossil fuels to heat and power our homes as it is
convenient using oil, coal and natural gas for meeting our energy needs. These are done without
a conscious consideration for the environment, the resultant effect been the rapid increase in
the atmospheric concentration of pollutants. Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases
(GHGs) are already well above pre-industrial levels and are projected to continue rising
rapidly. The increase in GHGs within the atmosphere is changing the manner in which radiation
is transmitted within the atmosphere resulting in global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO2),
among several others, is the primary GHG that has contributed to recent climate change and
known to be directly emitted by humans. It has been discovered that buildings are major
emitters of other non-CO2 GHG emissions such as halocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as a result of their use for cooling, refrigeration, fire
suppression, and in the case of halocarbons, insulation materials. These other GHGs are known
causal agents of respiratory health problems, headaches, dizziness, irritation of the eyes, nose
and throat and other illness. Other impacts also include sea-level rise, changes in storm paths
and frequency, more frequent floods from heavy rainfall and among others, intense droughts
leading to food shortages etc. Policies and actions to combat GHG emissions must expand
rapidly as the impacts of climate change bites and increases. It is, however, noteworthy that,
during nature’s years of evolution, it has evolved highly efficient systems and processes, which
can propel solutions to many of the challenges we now grapple with today. By responding to
its need and finding solutions that work, nature evolves and sustains itself over the long haul.
For 3.8 billion years, 10-30 million species have learned to do everything humans want to do,
without guzzling fossil fuels, polluting the planet, or mortgaging the common future of
generations to come. CO2 removal from the atmosphere by the photosynthesis of plants and
the absorption of CO2 for pH level reduction by the oceans are few of the highly successful
strategies found in nature. This discovery has therefore birthed an era whereby humans consult
nature, studying their forms, processes, systems and strategies to solve problems. Biomimicry,
the term describing this practice, will be construed in this study. In light of the conclusions
reached, a long-term biomimetic solution is proposed thereby utilising the synergy of strategies
found in nature with respect to tackling climate change.

10.1.1 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, countries joined in an international treaty, the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC is a framework for
international cooperation to combat climate change by limiting average global temperature
increases and the resulting climate change, and adapting to the inevitable impacts. Climate
change is a large-scale global and long-term issue full of uncertainties. Regardless of the stance
held by individuals, societies or governments on the sorts or magnitude of change occurring,

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an important consideration is the changing nature of change itself: its pace is quickening; its
intensity increasing; its symptoms are more obvious; the consequences and severity of change
are more evident; and it is fomenting additional and more ferocious change. The primary
objective of the UNFCCC, as stated in mitigation leading to stabilisation of GHG
concentrations in the atmosphere but within a time frame that allows ecosystems to adapt
naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable
economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner’’.Adaptation and mitigation
responses to climate change
The duo of mitigation and adaptation has been recognised as being responses to the issue of
climate change, as most of the scientific analysis and literature to date has tended to treat them
as separate domains, with very little overlap. While mitigation focuses on the source of climate
change, adaptation addresses its consequences. The relationship between them is such that, in
theory, the more mitigation that takes place, the less adaptation will be needed, and vice versa.
The visible effect of mitigation is not usually immediate, just as the impact of climate change
seen now is as a result of long years of accumulated atmospheric concentrations of GHGs and
other causal agents. Mitigation is, however, the best path and response to climate change as it
assures of a permanent and long-term remedy since adaptation addresses the immediate
consequences of climate change. Thus, mitigation was the policy response of choice in the
early stages of the UNFCCC because adaptation was considered only as the secondary
response. It is therefore recognised that, whereas mitigation comes down to following
regulations and making conscious changes in production, transport, and other service
industries, adaptation will not be an optional action. The synergies between adaptation and
mitigation responses to climate change should be highly effective and efficient considering the
extent of the impacts till date. Owing to sustainable practices found in nature, the adoption of
biomimicry thinking is more than needed now, in other to proffer mitigation measures to
climate change.

10.1.2 Biomimicry mitigative response to climate change in the built environment

Biomimicry has the potential to tackle climate change by mitigating GHG emissions which
remain the primary causal agent. Biomimicry can mitigate against the effects of climate change
through the following ways: application of biomimicry for energy effectiveness and energy
efficiency; biomimetic energy generation; and biomimetic sequestration and storage of carbon.
Nature has been found to be a master in dealing with chaos, complexity, and unpredictability.
Learning from the processes, systems, and strategies at work in nature can be adopted,
providing both mitigative and adaptive responses. Successful research and development from
nature’s over 3.8billion years of evolution has resulted in finding what works with the results
found to be sustainable, efficient, functional and aesthetically pleasing as well. For example,
before the industrial boom, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 remained steady as the
continuous exchange of CO2 between the atmosphere, oceans, and land keeps a balance.
Professional innovators, designers, and researchers are now heading outside to see how species
have managed to survive all these years after been humbled and inspired by the flora, fauna or
an entire ecosystem’s modus operandi. It is, therefore, imperative for us to humbly look unto
nature as model, mentor and measure in other to find numerous and sustainable solutions to the
challenges facing mankind, one of which is climate change amongst many others.

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11 What we can learn and emulate from nature?

Nature is the biggest example of self-sustaining ecosystem. Nature doesn’t need help from any
other source than nature for sustaining it.
The key eco-services that support the situations for life on Earth and can provide stimulation
for Interface’s:

Food and fibre: Ecosystems produce food products derived from plants, animals, and
microbes, as well as other materials, such as wood, hemp, and silk.

Storm protection: The presence of ecosystems like coral reefs and wetlands can greatly
reduce the amount of damage caused by coastal storms. At Interface, the factory design could
include constructed wetlands to mitigate flooding.

Fuel: Wood, dung and other biological materials provide energy.

Climate regulation: Ecosystems affect local and global temperature through land cover and
sequestering or emitting greenhouse gases.

Pollination: Ecosystems support pollinators, which sustain plant life. Green roofs at an
Interface factory could restore native pollinator communities.

Water regulation: Land cover plays a key role in the magnitude of flooding. At the Interface
factory, swapping concrete for more permeable pavement could reduce runoff.

Disease regulation: Ecosystem changes affect the abundance of pathogens and disease-
carrying organisms like mosquitoes. Warmer temperatures push malaria cases to higher
elevations, for instance.

Erosion control: Vegetative cover helps with soil retention and the prevention of landslides.

Cultural diversity: Ecosystems affect the unique cultural behaviours of the humans within
them. Maybe one day Interface employees will want to bird-watch in the surrounding wetlands
on their lunch breaks, Benyus says.

Social relations: Societal norms depend on surroundings. Fishing villages have different social
customs than nomadic herders, for instance. (McNeal, https://www.wired.com, 2018)

If we integrate those things in Architecture technology then those things have greater impact
on human and nature. Architecture is not possible without human and nature’s help but during
this process we are degrading nature which should be reduced the balance should be their while
designing and constructing a building.
The line between nature and the build environment is a blurred one and most of the Architects
are using this concept across the world to create innovative and cutting-edge designs.
Nature has learned how to achieve most efficient multifunctional structures, i.e., functional
integration. The optimized biological solution should give us inspiration and design
principles for the construction of multifunctional artificial materials with multiscale
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structures. Most of current work has still focused on the biomimetic synthesis of multiscale
structures inspired by one biological materials. In the near future, the following research
directions should be a growing and vigorous field.

• To extend the function of bio-inspired multiscale structures through modification


with functional molecules.
• To fabricate novel multiscale materials for functional integration inspired by two
or more biological materials. For example, taking advantage of layered nacre and
the marine adhesive of mussels, a novel nanostructured composite film was
constructed.

The fusion of two or more seemingly distinct concepts found in nature into a unique
composite with excellent functions is an exciting direction for the fabrication of novel
multifunctional materials. Although the biomimetic and bio-inspired research is in its
infancy, it is a rapidly growing and enormously promising field, which will become the
focus of international competition in the near future

Buildings are responsible for almost half (48%) of all energy consumption and GHG
emissions annually; globally the percentage is even greater. (US Energy Information
Administration)

76% of all power plant-generated electricity is used to operate buildings. Hence, there is
an urgency for action to protect our environment urgently.

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12 Biomimicry in interior architecture

Natural organisms interact with the environment in a successful and sustainable way, without
depleting natural resources or polluting the environment. They designed highly efficient
biological systems that can adapt themselves to the surrounding environmental conditions in
order to overcome different challenges. Biomimicry has the purpose of designing to emulate
and integrate with natural systems when planning for a human design with the aim of reducing:
energy, weight, material, cost and pollution. Interior design tried to imitate nature to enhance
and improve its capabilities. It started with imitating figures, forms and structures. It was until
the end of the 20th century, when it became possible to imitate nature’s process, function and
ecosystems in designs.
This is for benefit from the avaibility of biological information about some chosen natural
organisms which give us ideas, in order to emulate its design solutions by looking at its form,
structure, material, process and function, to create optimal restorative solution to solve one of
the important challenges in ecological interior design, that is thermal comfort. This can be
achieved by enhancing natural ventilation in the interior environment by reformulating a new
proposed model for “Breathing Window” that emulate the human nose which modulates the
air before entering to bronchi by cooling it in summer and warming it in winter. This
modulation process can be actuated through mimicking: structure form, process and functional
task of the human nose, the bee’s honey comb and the cooling cacti plant. Different ways that
natural organisms used for self-adaptation with the surrounding environment as: evaporative
cooling , shading , and converting light to heat (fiber optic )are also considered The idea of
modulating atmospheric air before entering to the interior environment through windows by
evaporative cooling phenomena was first introduced by ancient Egyptians(1300B.c) ,then
during the Islamic era and later by the architecture Hassan Fathy in the Breathing Wall and by
Nottingham university in using “modular porous Ceramic cuboids ,. Nowadays the green –
facades systems are new techniques using evaporative cooling phenomena to decrease thermal
effect
In interior designing a design is influenced by nature, then it most likely about its appearance:
it has an organic shape. Nature is a good teacher in this regard, but imitating or being inspired
by natural-looking forms, textures and colours alone is not biomimetics. To quote Dr Julian
Vincent ‘biomimetics has to have some biology in it.’ By which he means that a design should
in some way be informed by nature’s science, not just its look to be truly biomimetic. However,
perhaps the key to understanding the role of biomimicry in interior architecture is the fact that
the reason for the success of any design is not that it can trace its roots back to a natural principle
but that it is an example of good design! Biomimicry is a philosophical approach that can lead
to novel ideas and innovative solutions that have many potential advantages, for example, from
functional or sustainability perspectives.

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In interior design few years ago was for minimalism


trend, this design language is hardedged and machinelike
but succeeds in being humane and friendly through its
simplicity and careful use of materials. At present, the
fashion is an organic encased in smoothly flowing forms
and curvy details. For example, the curved spiral shell
house which designed by Senosiain Arquitectos and was
inspired by a sea shell. Inside the home, the odd forms of
the exterior continue to wrap through and connect each
space. The interior feels much as it could be outside,
filled with plant life, organic patterns and winding stone
paths. The design depends on emulating the shapes and
patterns and colours of the nature source, may be it has
some sustainability since it able to withstand an
earthquake and low- maintenance. But it does not a bio
mimic design at all.
In an attempt to link architecture with biology, Kulper
(S.B. 2003) and Roy (S.B. 2005) designed the cell-shaped
building for the Institute for Nano biomedical
Technology and Membrane Biology in Chengdu, China, Figure 30-A spiral shell house (Filiz Tavsana, 2015)
the regional capital of Sichuan province in southwestern
China. The designer intended to make the building look
like a cell from the outside and to include an assortment of forms inspired by molecular biology
inside.
According to Zhang, the pioneering design for the cell-shaped building was inspired by
"elegantly folded protein structures and their simple and beautiful structural motifs. The cell-
shaped building attempts to combine the architecture and the biology structures". (El-Zeiny,
2012) Kulper said “the garden design inside the cell-shaped building includes such biologically
inspired features as pools in the shape of endosmosis, left, and mitochondria”, but this is not
biomimicry this is emulating biological shapes and motives, the designer did not use the
biology as a tool to solve problems or achieve function. The designer in biomimicry approach
must ask “How would Nature do it?” biomimicry is more than just reproducing a natural object
or system. It is first a deep study of an organism or ecosystem, then a mindful application of
the underlying design principles found in the solution of the nature, we can say that learning
about nature is one thing- learning from nature is another. This discussion of fashion and style
is worthwhile because it is important to understand that biomimetics has nothing to do with
appearance. A biomimetic design could easily be designed to look any organism shape, but it
need not. So it is necessary for designers and architects to understand that biomimicry does not
necessarily influence the appearance and style of a design. It could, but it does not have to,
architects and designers should engage nature more deeply than merely mimicking natural
form. They must move beyond the formalistic characteristics of nature and encourage people
to develop a deeper and more responsive understanding of the nature.

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12.1.1 Application of biomimicry in interior architecture

Inspired by the random patterns of the


forest floor, achieving environmental
advantages not found with other carpet
tiles. Because the subtly-shaded carpet
tiles blend together like leaves, without
strict patterning, it is easier to match the
replacement tiles, less discards, easier
in installation, all ultimately resulting in
the reduction of waste. In this way,
biomimicry can benefit facilities
managers and building owners.
Smart paints, which use a self- cleaning
technique borrowed from lotus leaves,
also another example for solution-based
approach where the Lotus leaf was the
point of departure for the design. The
information here was found in
communication level that depends on Figure 31- Interior of a building ( tree shaped column are used)
the relationships between the organism
and its living community. The paint surface takes the shape of densely packed ridges or bumps,
just like the bumps found on lotus leaves.
The problem here was the desire to reduce glare and improves visual comfort in office
buildings, without reducing view. This design is based on strategies, principles, methods, and
techniques abstracted from natural organisms that regulate light perception in their
environment (organism-environment relationship level). Several organisms were studied
through a brainstorming session, and the fish was the selected organism based on its strategy
in preventing glare by polarization of light, see. Fish have a distinct alignment of its retinal cell
to perceive polarized light. Light polarization is a technique used by the fish to reduce glare
and improve its ability to create a good image of its prey or predator. Light polarization is an
interesting phenomenon. If light is vibrating in one single direction and not continually
changing of direction, the light is polarized. It is possible to filter light and make it polarized.
The filter consists out of multiple thin stripes, which allow through only one single direction
of light waves through and are able to reflect or absorb all other directions. Adding a second
filter makes it is possible to change, or even fully block, the intensity of the polarization filter.
Design case ‘Alpha’ is based on polarization by a polarization film. To be able to rotate the
film, windows with circular shape were created; the rotation of the windows can be controlled
manually or electronically. In design case ‘Bèta’ polarization is obtained by LCs. LCs have the
property to align easily and they are able to rotate using a voltage. There are four different
phases, vertically polarized, horizontally polarized, non-polarized and total light block. It is
easy to switch between the different phases by a control panel. The switchable glazing could
replace any standard window. The two cases will be able to fulfil multiple facade functions in
just one simple glass layer Based on solution- based approach Achim Menges in collaboration
with Steffen Reichert in the institute for computational design at the faculty of architecture and

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urban planning at Stuttgart University studied the material systems in plants and they noticed
that these systems are not only making use of an anisotropic material setup to adapt to structural
forces. In combination with hygroscopic properties they can also perform kinematic and
environmentally responsive movements without the use of muscles. In this case, unlike
engineered solutions, simple material elements are sensor, actuator and regulator at the same
time. These systems, therefore, provide unusual conceptual and practical framework for
architectural surface structures that response to their environment. With the advancements in
computational design, computer aided manufacturing and digital sensor technologies; an
innovative materially-oriented design approach becomes possible, which enables the design
and manufacturing of surface structures response to climate without need for any mechanical
or electronic control. According to the biomimetic research projects based on the biological
principles of conifer cones, they presented some designs inspired by the method that cones
protect the seeds inside; the spines close up to protect the seeds inside in the rainy weather and
open up to improve the chances of the seeds escaping at the dry weather. One of these designs
is the FAZ Pavilion which located in the city centre of Frankfurt; the summer pavilion provides
an interior extension of this popular public space. It responds to weather changes based on a
relatively simple material element that is at the same time responsive structure, embedded
sensor, no-energy motor and regulating element. The surface is fully opened on sunny days
with relatively low ambient humidity. Once it begins to rain the related increase in relative
ambient humidity triggers a rapid, autonomous response and the structure closes and forms a
weatherproof skin.

12.1.2 The future of biomimicry in the interior environment

Now, biomimicry is still in its infancy in the interior environment. In spite of a growing number
of bio-inspired materials and products are expanding the friendly environment options
available to designers; projects that incorporate biomimicry at the macro scale are few and far
between. It is expected that it will continue to be applied most wildly in architecture and interior
environment in the future, particularly as a tool of sustainable design in terms of day lighting,
energy consumption and ecological footprint of new facilities. The architectural and interior
design profession are cohesive enough to allow innovative approaches and new technologies
to spread rapidly particularly when the profit is clear. As an example, the ability to effectively
provide daylight into an interior space that has limited access to it reduces the need for artificial
lighting. As a result, less heat is generated and less cooling is necessary, which could reduce
cooling equipment’s size (a capital cost). Overall energy use is reduced (a cost of operation),
and the dependence on fossil energy is lessened (an environmental cost). This is in addition to
the important aesthetic and human benefits that daylight offers. We can say that using
biomimicry as problem solving methodology can help create a new sustainable standard for
interior spaces, buildings, communities and cities worldwide. For architects and other design
professionals, it opens up a whole new world of innovative ideas for transforming the interior
environment, while optimizing human well-being. And beyond the projects themselves, the
principles of biomimicry will help in providing design smarter, and connect the work with the
natural environment. In the future, the interior spaces we live in and the workplace we work
in might be designed to function like living organisms, specifically adapted to place and able
to provide all of their needs for energy and water from the surrounding nature. The architecture
and design will have inspiration, not from the machines of the 21th-century, but from the
butterfly that flies in the sky or the flower that exists in the landscape that surrounds them.

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13 Biomimicry in Furniture Design

The interior of any room can affect human emotions and action, the colour, texture, design
everything has their own impact, that is design element. In this we can take help of
biomimicry for making furniture form for this we have to conserve and admire nature, as we
say nature is our mother because it takes cares of us like everything so implementing those
things what we learn from nature in place where we spend our most of the time will make our
living more comfort.

Introduction

Nature has always been a source of inspiration for the human. Indeed, human met all his needs
such as shelter, survival and protection in caves which were readily available in nature. It was
only later that they built shelter for protection and defence. Therefore, we may conclude that
human observed and tried to learn about natural forms and structures and needed shelter
simultaneously. Designers have also observed how life proceeded in nature and began to
develop the first shelters either by observing or imitating the natural structures. Nature gave
them plenty of opportunities with its admirable mechanisms, designs and potential to enrich a
various aspect of life. As a result of the increase of our accumulation of knowledge and the
development of technological opportunities, this potential reveals itself a bit more in every
single day. Science; from nature to model, measure, and mentor, taking a lot to learn.
Biomimicry examined models in nature, then imitating these designs or taking inspiration from
them which aims to provide solutions to people's problems is one of the new branches of
science. Being a guiding spirit for all of the sciences today and making progress as a result of
the imitation and observation of nature, biomimicry also affects us in the architectural domain.
Undoubtedly, Biomimicry will be increasingly influential on the understanding of design in
the future. Therefore, it will give the chance to introduce the concept of Biomimicry to the
designers, enabling them to widen their perspective and evaluate things around more uniquely.
It will help designers to understand that a spider is not only a spider but a material producer
and designer while an ant is not only an ant making structures similar to sand castles. In short,
Biomimicry basically refers to the importance of seeing the nature from a different point of
view and understanding it. Looking at the nature and seeing the solutions is particularly
important for the designers. Design must follow this principle and this value must be
generalized. Biomimicry is a method that has consciously or unconsciously been tried at every
period of design and yielded positive results. Supporting Biomimicry in every type of design
training will undoubtedly have significant benefits as it is seen as a science rather than a design
approach despite its short history. The main goal of the study is to demonstrate students how
living beings in nature contribute to design. Objectives related to this main goal are
examination of the relationship of Biomimicry to design, generalize the method of bringing
solutions by looking at nature through teaching the concept of Biomimicry and measuring the
effects of the method in design training.

Biomimicry in Design

Derived from the stems “bios-life” and “mimesis-to imitate” and similarly used with
“Biomimetic”, “Biomimesis”, “Biognosis” and “Bionic” terms, this concept is used in various
disciplines in researches towards developing more advanced technologies by “learning from

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nature”. Biomimicry may also be translated as “learning by imitating the best ideas of nature”
and has begun to be regarded as a new branch of science by embodying “likely solutions and
solution potential in the nature” in various different disciplines and even through an interaction
that integrates disciplines.
“Imitating the nature” has been a popular theme for centuries in almost every kind of art, social
and science fields and now is resorted to in numerous things including architecture, sculpture,

Figure 32- Fiori Divano’s lotus armchair (Filiz Tavsana, 2015)

painting, interior architecture and industrial design etc. to find solutions. Observation, analysis
and modelling the features of materials and forms in the nature including stability, lightness,
resistance to dynamic and static loads, figural and structural properties enabling energy saving,
silence, self-repairing directed attention of many scientist to living and non-living forms in the
nature. That is in every field of work biomimicry is necessary Therefore; Benyus thinks that a
“biomimetic revolution” will happen in the following years if this learning process is
popularized in other disciplines. Interior architecture has also been influenced by increasing
popularity of Biomimicry among scientific branches and materials and forms in nature have
begun to find themselves a place particularly in furniture design. It is no possible to see
furniture samples influenced by microorganisms, plants or animal skeleton structure, designed
precisely or amended and produced with macro or micro-size inspiration from the nature.
Designers Joris Laarman, Mathias Bengtsson, Lilian Van Daal, and Nicolette de Waart put
biomimicry to the test when they used a biomimetic approach to create concept chairs. Their
innovative creations explore how human design can mimic nature to increase efficiency,
elegance, and sustainability. Inspired by the form and function of nature, the design of each of
these chairs explores at least one of the core methodologies form, process, and system of
biomimetic design.
Form: Design Based on Its Intended Function
In 2007, Joris Laarman of Amsterdam, Netherlands, used SKO, a structure
optimization algorithm that simulates bone mineralization, to design his
innovative Bone Chair. Bone is a smart composite made of specialized cells

Figure 33- Bone chair


(Designers, 2014)

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and protein fibers. As strong as steel and as light as


aluminum, it reacts to resist stresses from constantly
changing external structural forces

Process: Designed and Made Based on the Natural


Processes of Self-Organization

Mathias Bengtsson of London designed the Cellular Chair,


in 2011, based on the growth principles of human bones.
Composed of lightweight epoxy, the material is designed Figure 34- Cellular chair (Designers, 2014)
to simulate the regeneration of bone tissue.

Lilian Van Daal’s concept chair, Biomimicry: 3D Printed Soft Seat, is based on the self-
organizing structure of plant cells, whose structural design enables cells to be made of a single
material and perform different functions with varying degrees of firmness, rigidity, and
softness. Daal’s chair was created through a sustainable 3-D production process, eliminating
multi-material construction of upholstery, foam, padding, covers, and frames.

Figure 36- Plant cell chair (Designers, 2014) Figure 35- Interlocking leaf seats (Designers,
2014)

System: Design That Performs Multiple Functions Within an Ecosystem

Design by Nico, founded by Nicolette de Waart, showcased a set of interlocking Leaf Seats at
Milan Design Week this year. As many as seven Leaf Seats can be connected together to serve
a range of functions, from individual stools to benches and even daybeds. Each Leaf Seat is
handmade by British craftsmen using sustainable materials.

Learn more about biomimicry and its impact on the design industry at GO PRO/NYC, Sept.
18–19, 2014, in New York City. Janus Welton, LEED AP BD+C, AIA, and chemist Mark
Dorfman of Biomimicry NYC will dive into sustainability, materiality and problem solving
during their session “PROduct: Align Design, Business and Nature with Biomimicry.”
(Designers, 2014)

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Biomimicry in Architecture (2018)

14 Conclusion-

Summarising the concept of this study, there are many aspects to be considered between nature
and Architecture, some we have been learning since the historical times how humans started
learning from nature, and the relationship between nature and build environment. Approaches
to sustainability is to focus upon reducing energy and resources consumption Biomimicry
provides the forum where natural system helps to produce a more positive and regenerative
design. Not only is nature a readily available source of inspiration given that it is present in
every molecule around us, but natural forms have also evolved within the same confines as
humanity, utilizing only the material and energy resources available on Earth.
Following the concept of Biomimicry in every field like in design technology, interior
designing, furniture designing which are not directly connected to it would make it more
successful and by this we can achieve more sustainable environment.
These concepts also help is deigning so, if we introduce these in Architecture education then
students would have more scope to learn about it and they have more knowledge about
Biomimicry and what nature can do. Which would further help them in future design by this
we can sustain our future environment and design also.
As we are evolving, we must embrace our potential for future development so, that the Aim of
making sustainable future can be achieved.

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