ARCHITECTURE FOLLOWS NATURE
Biomimicry in Architecture
An Architecture Manifesto Biomimicry is a way of learning from nature.
Qiyu Tang
CONTENTS
PLACING ARCHITECTURE AT THE HEART OF A BIOINSPIRED FUTURE.
It is a manifesto to a 21st century model, as well as a call for a shift. ‘From architect as singular author to architect as multiple authors.’ ‘From architecture as buildings to architecture as the designed and built environment.’
01 | INTRODUCTION
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02 | THE TERM ‹ BIOMIMICRY›
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03 | THE FORM–FUNCTION PROBLEM
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04 | POTENTIALS OF BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURE
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05 |WORKS CITED
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INTRODUCTION Nature has been continuously evolving for at least
is the harmonisation of the construction and the surrounding geographical
the past 3.5 billion years since life is estimated to have
environment while also be according with the social atmosphere. It is noticed
appeared on the Earth. It is by far the richest source
that green roofs and walls are changing the face of modern architectures. They
of knowledge that we have and provides us with a
are popping up across the concrete jungle of city. These green surfaces are
fantastic array of solutions for many complex problems
more like an aesthetically pleasing tweak than a systematically integration of
that we face today.
building elements.
Engineers have long been inspired by nature. By taking
The biomimicry in architecture is by no means a direct copy of what is observed
a look around, airplanes have taken the shape of birds,
in nature. This manifesto will cover more than the subjects of form, spaces, and
the Bird Protection Glass started with the ultraviolet
energy to discuss what is biomimicry and how biology can be used as a source
thread patterns found in Orb spider webs, and the
of inspiration and translated into architectural solutions.
interlocking system of Velcro came from the hooked I believe that placing buildings and architectures at the heart of a bio-inspired
barbs of the burdock plant.
and biomimetic future will bring more sustainable solutions to the design table and promote a shift from the industrial age to humankind’s ecological age.
It is biomimicry, a highly interdisciplinary field involving the understanding of biological functions, structures, and principles. While engineers often mimic nature’s technology to design innovative new products, architects can benefit from this kind of approach to build a new world of sustainable beauty as well.
Fig.1 The Big Pineapple
In terms of incorporating biomimicry into architecture,
applying living elements to buildings, such as green
it usually starts by adapting natural forms. The National
roofs. The former limits the mimicking of living nature to
Aquatics Center, also known as the ‘Water Cube’, is an
imitating the biological world’s morphological aspects
example of artistic picture imitation of soap bubbles.
and overlooks its potential to improve building’s overall
This sporting venue is enclosed within the walls of
performance. For example, The Big Pineapple is literally
random and organic units. This unique geometry is
the biggest manmade pineapple in the world. Although
highly repetitive and buildable, and forms the honey-
its form represents the region’s pineapple industry, it
comb structure.
cannot be considered as a biomimicry architecture. Since it does not involve investigating patterns,
However, if the translation of biological knowledge
researching properties, and applying an engineering
to an architecture design involves a limited scientific
mindset to designing the structure.
understanding, it may remain at a shallow level. It is a growing concern that much of the recent focus has been
The latter oversimplifies the process of biomimicry and
either on aesthetic components of built form or simply
neglects the ultimate pursuit of architecture, which Fig.2 The Green Building
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Chapter 1: The Term ‘Biomimicry’ the conscious emulation of nature’s genius
Level (Zari. 2007). Organism Level (mimicry of a specific organism): After analysing how it functions, the designer can
Biomimicry is derived from Ancient Greek: βίος (bios) for life, and μίμησις (mīmēsis) for imitation (Fleming & Roberts, 2019). Thus, biomimicry means imitating life.
choose to mimic a part or the organism as a whole
The term ‘biomimicry’ first appeared in the scientific
its hexagonal skin drawn from the Venus Flower Basket
literature in 1962 as a generic term that referred to
Sponge, a type of glass sponge. This sponge survives
cybernetics as well as ‘bionics’ (biology + technics)
deep underwater. Its lattice-like exoskeleton and round
(Bernadette et al., 2002). There has been a new
shape help disperse the forces on the organism from
upsurge of interest in biomimicry during the past few
strong currents.
(Ismail et al., 2018). 30 St. Mary Axe, also known as “The Gherkin”, is London’s most recognisable tower. Inspiration for the structure of Fig.4 Venus’ Flower Basket Sponge
decades, which also produced plenty of scholars like natural sciences writer Janine Benyus, biomechanics
The design employed a double-skin glass facade to
researcher Steven Vogel and Honorary Professor of
drive a natural ventilation system and maximise sun
Biomimetics Julian Vincent. They have all written
exposure. However, at the same time, the design does
extensively in this subject area and developed their
bring some threats and disadvantages. The use of
definition of biomimicry. Julian Vincent defines the
numerous glass panels pricks up the risk of falling off
even tower several meters high (Turner, 2008). Termite
discipline as ‘the implementation of good design based
and results in the intense sun glare. When introducing
mounds are constructed like a chimney. The mound
on nature,’(Pawlyn, 2016) and Steven Vogel described
biomimicry into the design, besides efficient shape,
warms up in the sun during the day, and by nightfall
bionics as being mostly concerned with systems design.
suitable material selection should be taken into account
the outdoor temperature falls, the air inside the mound
as well.
becomes warmer than outside. Warm air naturally flows
Either ‘biomimetics,’ ‘bionics’, or ‘biomimicry,’ all imply the process of copying, imitating, and learning from biology. It is a general consensus among the world’s biologists that biomimicry is a practice that learns from and emulates nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies to solve human design challenges.
Behaviour Level (mimicry of how an organism behaves or relates to its immediate environment): Mimicking the organism’s behaviour and learn how it adjusts to change. It helps to build a structure that can
Fig.3 The Gherkin
out through a channel at the top of the mound, which draws cool air into the lower part of the mound. Figure 6 shows the network of tunnels and ventilation systems of the termite mound.
fit in its surrounding environment without resistance.
Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. This modern complex
as the synonym of ‘bio-inspired design,’ including the
has no conventional air-conditioning or heating with
potential for not being limited by what exists in biology
dramatically less energy consumption. Its design is
and nature and developing something beyond.
inspired by indigenous Zimbabwean masonry and the These termites are themselves nature’s greatest
are Organism Level, Behaviour Level and Eco-system
architects, they build gigantic mounds which can
termite mound
The Eastgate Centre is composed of two office blocks side by side linked together by a glass roof. The building does not look like a termite mound, but functions like one. The central spine core of each office wing is communicated with the chimney to direct hot air out. In addition to passive cooling, windows with adjustable blinds can keep direct sun off and reduce heat absorption. This makes natural means a viable
These two cases reflect that to understand the true effectiveness of biomimicry, it is necessary to put it in context within its ecology environment. In other words, architecture design should aim to mimic the remarkable efficiencies of ecosystems.
self-cooling mounds of African termites. The biomimicry can be divided into three levels, which
Fig.6 Showing air circulation in a typical
alternative to artificial air-conditioning.
The Eastgate Centre is located downtown in In this manifesto, the term ‘biomimicry’ is explained
Fig.5 The Eastgate Centre
Fig.7 The Eastgate Centre
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Eco-system Level (mimicry of an eco-system):
grilles and condensers placed on the roof” (“The Sahara
It involves mimicking how an organism interacts with
Forest Project,” 2019). Then the moister and cool air
the environment and how a series of components work
inside the greenhouses leaks out. Therefore, it provides
Nowadays, the practice of biomimicry are characterised
together.
a more biologically active climate on the surrounding
by unconventional computing techniques and symbolic
site where vegetation can grow. The vegetation itself
content with direct references to the natural world. The
will help to make the air moister and cooler, which in
design should look beyond form and teases out life’s
turn encourages more growth (Holly, 2014) and drives
inherent sustainability strategies, creating structures
desert reforestation.
that fit form to function and are efficient as well as well-
The Sahara Forest Project is a greenhouse project located in Tunisia and sets out to restore forests by mimicking how ecosystem encourages new growth. This architectural complex has various self-sufficient greenhouses which take inspiration from the Namibian beetle that lives in the desert. The beetle can condense the humidity in the air and gather drops of air by using the shape of its exoskeleton. Similarly, the greenhouses can obtain water by “absorbing it from the air through a system of
iconic biomorphic structures.
adapted to their environment. Besides desert revegetation, the biomimetic cultivation strategies include generating resources like clean
When architects grasp a fundamental idea from nature
energy, freshwater, and food. The Sahara Forest Project
and translate inspiration to their biomimetic applications,
is more than an ambitious practice. As a replicable
one must be cautious that a direct copy never leads to
model, it gives the opportunity to be applied to other
the goal. The key is changing the idea from which treats
areas in a hostile natural environment.
architecture as isolated and autonomous form-making process to which architecture as a complex system of socio-cultural, economic and ecological imperatives. Adhering to the ‘form follows function’ mantra, Fig.10 ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion
the practice of biomimicry should adapt inherent
Chapter 2: The Form–Function Problem
sustainability strategies to create the design outcome
criticism and justification
that ‘form fits function, and so does structure’. This new solution is the product of whole system thinking, as how things work in nature.
As mentioned above, biomimicry is split into three levels of application. Within each of these levels, a
Fig.8 The Sahara Forest Project
further two dimensions to the mimicry exist. The design may be biomimetic in terms of what it looks like (form) and what it is able to do (function). Throughout architectural history and practice, nature is used mainly as an aesthetic sourcebook and architects have mainly taken inspiration from it solely for building forms. Looking to nature for design inspiration has historically been standard practice, from Corinthian columns on Greek temples to Santiago Calatrava’s
Fig.9 Water Cycle
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situations throughout its resilience capacity. Using nature’s genius in architecture to achieve energy
WORKS CITED
efficiency, material efficiency, and functionality is not impossible. It is time to take a step to an evolution of design into
‘Architecture follows nature’.
SOURCES:
PHOTOS:
Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Hervé Arribart, Yves
Fig.1: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/
Bouligand, & Clément Sanchez. (2002). Chemists and
buildings-africa-inspired-nature
the school of nature. New Journal of Chemistry. Fig.2: https://www.edntech.com/blogs/news/biophilicFleming, R., Roberts, S. H. (2019). Sustainable Design
design-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters
for the Built Environment. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
Fig.3: https://steemit.com/architecture/@snaves/ biomimetic-architecture-the-gherkin
Holly, J. (2014). Learning from Nature: Biological templates for adapting to climate change. Retrieved
Fig.4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus%27_flower_
from http://web.mit.edu/nature/projects_14/
basket
pdfs/2014-BiomimicryResearchPaper_HJacobson.pdf Fig.5: https://www.livinspaces.net/ls-tv/watch-how-
Fig.11 Robotically Fabricated Structure
The Sahara Forest Project: An arid ecosystem. (2019,
the-eastgate-center-in-zimbabwe-cools-itself-without-
December). Retrieved from https://biomimeticsciences.
air-conditioning/
org/en/sahara-forest-project/
Chapter 3:Potentials of Biomimicry in Architecture
Fig.6: http://article.sapub.org/ Turner, J.S. (2008). Beyond biomimicry: What termites can tell us about realizing the living building.
As as global population and demands for resources keep
Pawlyn, M. (2016). Biomimicry in architecture (Second
Fig.7: http://article.sapub.org/
edition.). RIBA Publishing.
image/10.5923.j.arch.20180801.01_007.gif
growing, we use and even abuse nature. We can barely
Fig.8: https://biomimeticsciences.org/en/sahara-forest-
understand that human factor has destabilised the
project/
natural order of things. Can we restore our relationship with nature through biomimicry in architecture?
Fig.9: http://web.mit.edu/nature/projects_14/ pdfs/2014-BiomimicryResearchPaper_HJacobson.pdf
A recent trend has been designing sustainable and ecologically responsible housing in response to threats
Fig.10: https://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-
of depleted resources, accelerated effects of global
research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart
warming, and overall increased awareness of human impact on the natural environment. It is possible to learn
Fig.11: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/17/
from nature how organism has adapted to unexpected
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image/10.5923.j.arch.20180801.01_006.gif
aguahoja-i-mediated-matter-group-design/
Biomimicry in Architecture
Biomimicry in Architecture
ACHI T EC T URE FOLLOWS NAT URE
An Architecture Manifesto Biomimicry will expand the possibilities of architecture.
Qiyu Tang 900830