Biomimetic Architecture: Introduction

snaves (39)in #architecture • 6 years ago (edited)

What is biomimetic architecture? Biomimetic architecture is a subset of biomimetics which seeks to find solutions to human problems using inspiration from nature. It goes further than just using nature as inspiration for aesthetic design. Forms and functions that serve a purpose in nature are imitated to serve human purposes. Biomimetic design does not necessarily mean reproduction of nature, but instead the natural inspiration often serves as a starting point for technological innovation.

Milwaukee Art Museum Quadracci Pavilion: Bird-inspired moveable sun screen roof - Source

In architecture, biomimetics can mean solving problems of anything from structural engineering to lighting. A common goal in many modern biomimetic architectural designs is sustainability. Architects and engineers seek to minimize human impact on the environment by looking to natural processes for solutions to improve resource efficiency. The long history of nature-inspired architectural aesthetic design has seen a rapid evolution into biomimicry in recent years as concerns for sustainability have grown. Buildings may end up resembling the organism from which a solution is derived as a consequence of form following function as much as they do through aesthetic design intent.

Biomimetic architecture can work at 3 different functional levels depending on the depth of the design problem. First, at the organism level, the form and function of an organism is applied to a building. Second, at the behavior level, the interaction between an organism and its environment is applied to a building. Third, at the ecosystem level, the interactions of the many parts in an environment are applied to projects of larger-scale than a single building.

See these lists for popular examples of biomimetic design:

I will be taking a look at individual examples of biomimetic architecture and how they find solutions to design problems from nature. The first in the series will be the Sagrada Familia, one of the most well-known examples and a personal favorite.