International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

Biomimicry in Architecture
Rajshekhar Raoa

a. Associate Professor, School of Architecture,

M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India.
Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT: In the search of sustainable building design and technology Biomimicry is an alternative
solution. The inspiration from nature is driving force in architecture, resulting in majestic works of
architecture. Biomimicry is about solution refined and developed by nature. For any sustainable building
design, need to consider structural efficiency, water efficiency, zero-waste systems, thermal environment,
and energy supply. Biomimicry is about solutions. Biological organisms refined and developed by natural
selection over a billion year research and development period can be seen as embodying technologies,
functions, and systems that are solutions to the problem of surviving in nature. These problems are often
equivalent to those encountered by humans as we seek new ways to design and live sustainably, and in
many cases have solved the same problems with a far greater economy of means. This paper aims at
revealing how radical increase in resource efficiency can be achieved by looking to the nature for
inspiration. Exploring the application of Biomimicry in current architectural design, resulting in a set of
design approaches, levels and principles. The paper also discuss about the architects work inspired by
nature.

Key Words: architecture, biomimicry, sustainable building, zero waste system.

1, INTRODUCTION

Biomimicry from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate is a new discipline
that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human
problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example, it as "innovation inspired by
nature." The core idea is that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the
problems grappling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. They
have found what works, what is appropriate, and most important, what lasts here on Earth. This
is the real news of Biomimicry: After 3.8 billion years of research and development, failures are
fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to survival. Biomimicry is a new science that studies
nature’s models and then emulates these forms, process, systems, and strategies to solve human
problems – sustainably. Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge the sustainability of our
innovations. After many years of evolution, nature has learned what works and what lasts.
Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature. It introduces an era based not on what
we can extract from the natural world, but what we can learn from it.

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International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

2, INSPIRATION FROM NATURE

One of the earliest examples of Biomimicry was the study of birds which enabled humans to gain
the technology of flight. Though, it could be argued that our ancestors mimicked the techniques
of the animals around them to become more successful hunters or gatherers, or to create better
shelter. Sustainable development is moving to a new level where buildings are integral to nature,
supporting nature’s work rather than interfering with life-sustaining ecosystems. Nature has been
offering immense ideas and inspirations to designers for creating architecture.
Venus flower Basket sponge (Fig, 1) sits in an underwater environment with strong water
currents and its lattice like exoskeleton and round shape help disperse those stresses on the
organism. Architect Norman Foster inspired by this Venus flower designed Gherkin tower,
(Fig.2) which has hexagonal skin.

Figure 1: Venus Flower Basket Figure 2: Gherkin Tower

From an architectural point of view it is an exciting to watch the construction of amazing new
stadium like the Bird’s Nest (Fig.4) and water cube. These buildings are not only energy efficient
and eco-friendly but also inspired by the nature. The Watercube’s (Fig. 3) architectural design is
based on water bubbles in foam, this structure is derived from principles of geometry and
crystaline systems. The building’s structure is framed in steel, while the bubbles themselves are
made from Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene pillows. The membrane lets in more light and heat than
traditional glass does, which keeps all 5 pools warmer, thus reducing energy costs
by 30%.Rainwater from the roof is collected and recycled with efficient filtration and backwash
systems.

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International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

Figure .3 Water Bubble Figure 4: Bird’s Nest stadium

3. INFLUENCE OF BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN:

Biomimicry design is not only adapting the design from the nature but also considering how to
use nature’s effective functions such as heating and cooling system, protecting natural light and
ventilation.

Figure 3: Habitat 2020, china Figure 4: Living skin of Habitat 2020

One of the most effective ways to cut down the ecological footprint of buildings is to follow the
lead of nature through biomimicry. The Habitat 2020 building envisioned for china (Fig.3) is a
future forward example of biomimetic architecture that fuses high-tech ideas with basic cellular
functions to create ‘living’ structures that operate like natural organisms. This nature-inspired
approach to city living looks at the urban landscape as a dynamic and ever-evolving ecosystem.
Within this cityscape, buildings open, close, breathe and adapt according to theirenvironment.
The Habitat 2020 building radically alters perception of a structure’s surface. The exterior has
been designed as a living skin, rather than a system of inert materials used only for construction
and protection. The skin (Fig.4) behaves like a membrane which serves as a connection between
the exterior and interior of the habitat. Alternatively, the skin may be considered as the leaf
surface having several stomata cellular openings involved in gaseous exchange

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International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

and transpiration in plants. The surface would allow the entry of light, air and water into the
housing. It would automatically position itself according to the sunlight and let in light. . The air
and wind would be channeled into the building and filtered to provide clean air and natural air-
conditioning. The active skin would be capable of rain water harvesting where water would be
purified, filtered, used and recycled. The skin could even absorb moisture from the air. The
waste produced would be converted into biogas energy that could be put to diverse uses in the
habitat.

Fig.5 Tree pod

One of the interesting examples of beneficial biomimicry are the Treepods designed by Influx
Studio. These Treepods (Fig.5) take the working concept of trees and incorporate these elements
into the design of the structures. The aim of this project is to create air cleaning by creating a
system that catches CO2. The tree that Influx Studio focused on mimicking is the Dragon tree
because of the large canopy that provides maximum shading which also allows the structure to
support solar panels used to power the air cleaning system. This approach to creating
biomimicry is successful in many ways, it takes in consideration of the visual aspects as well as
the working and functional aspects of the Dragon tree.
These Treepods are not designed to replace natural trees, but to act like small air cleaning
infrastructures, increasing in many times CO2 absorption. This is interesting because the
structures are not only mimicking the qualities of trees but pushing them further by enhancing
the working aspects of the Treepods. Taking this approach to biomimicry is more beneficial to
the earth than sculptural and visual biomimicry.

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International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

Fig.6 : Tent tower

Another example of Biomimicry is Looking like a strange sort of man-made volcano, the All-
Seasons Tent Tower (Fig.6) by OFIS Architecture is a multi-function cylindrical tower powered
with solar energy and covered in a mesh skin that filters sunlight for temperature regulation. As
the city of yerevan is situated in a region prone to earthquakes, the main driver when deciding on
a suitable structural system for the building was safety during earthquakes.
The vertical structure, which resists gravity load and forces resulting from earthquake action,
was rationalized to reinforce the tower’s concrete cores and composite columns. Special care has
been taken to optimize environmental conditions and minimize the energy demands of the tower.
The external facades will feature a high performance skin with an adaptable external shading
device to reduce solar gains in the summer. A concrete slab embedded pipe system provides
cooling without draft problems and in winter comfortable heating. In the summer, the cooling of
internal spaces is achieved primarily through the use of the slab system. During winter, the fresh
air will be heated inside the units and distributed into the rooms using the displacement
ventilation principle.

Fig. 7: Lily pad, a floating city Fig. 8 Lily pod

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International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

There are very few urban design solutions that address housing the inevitable tide of displaced
people that could arise as oceans swell under global warming. Certainly none are spectacular as
this one. The Lilypad, (Fig.8 & 9 ) by Vincent Callebaut, is a concept for a completely self-
sufficient floating city intended to provide shelter for future climate change.

Biomimicry concept implemented in the building Lilypad created as a water lily is planned to be
a nil emission city floating in the deep. By means of several technologies, it is predicted that the
plan would be capable of not only generating its individual power, but also dealing with CO2 in
the surroundings. A fully self-reliant floating city aimed to afford protection for upcoming
climate variation immigrants.

Figure 9: Mangal city

People thought cities deriving from nature in the past, but they have evolved that nature is
coming inside cities central. The city space is a live organism. ‘Mangal City’ (Fig. 9) is an ‘urban
ecosystem’ that mimics the nature of the Mangrove plant, spiraling plant growth patterns, and the
interaction of natural ecosystems. It is Chimera design team is a series of futuristic spiraling
skyscrapers for London, a beautiful example of Biomimicry. This project is an ‘urban ecological
system’ composed of modular pod capsules that shift to adapt to environmental and contextual
conditions.

CONCLUSION
These kind of nature inspired projects are allowing architects and designers to develop eco-
performance principles that can be used by industry professionals worldwide to build Biomimcry
solutions into their own designs. In fact, under this new order of sustainability, buildings,
outdoor art and other manmade structures would function like trees, meadows, flora and fauna,
capturing, cleaning and storing rainwater; converting sunlight to energy and carbon dioxide to
oxygen; protecting soil from erosion; disseminating seedlings; and eliminating waste. There is
need for future young Architects and designers to Create bio-inspired design adaptations that
emulate nature’s best ideas, so that all futuristic buildings will be sustainable.

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 International Journal of Advanced Research in

Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing

Volume: 1 Issue: 3 08-Apr-2014,ISSN_NO: 2320-723X

REFERENCES

[1]. Michael Pawlyn, (2011),Biomimicry in Architecture, Riba Publishing

[2]. Dora Lee,(2011),Biomimicry invention inspired by nature, Kids Can press limited,Canada
[3]. Janine M Benyus,(2002) Biomimicry: innovation inspired by nature,Harper Collins
Publishers,Newyork
[4]. Petra Gruber,(2011) Biomimetics in Architecture: Architecture of Life and
buildings,Springer Wien Newyork.Javier Senosiain,Bio Architecture,Elsevier.
[5]. bhttp://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/about-us/what-is-biomimicry.html
[6]. Guild, B. (2007). Innovation inspired by nature work book. Biomimicry Guild.

BIOGRAPHY

Rajshekhar Rao is an landscape architect. He is Associate Professor in school of

Architecture,M.S.Ramaiah Institute of technology, with over 15 years of professional and
10 years of Academic experience. He presented papers in various national and International
conferences and has ten publications in his credit. He is pursuing a ph.D.at JNAFA University,
Hyderabad. e- mail: [email protected]

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