Title: The Breathing Building

This sums up the whole idea of my product very effectively. This product is aiming to design
a building that lives in its surrounding rather than above it.
Table of Contents
...................................................................................................................0
Title: The Breathing Building .......................0
Title: The Breathing Building ...........................................2
Essential Question: ....................................................................................3
How can I incorporate my love of Biomimicry in a working system for the
community? ............................................................................................... 3
Product description:...................................................................................4
Product Purpose: .......................................................................................5
What is Biomimicry? ..................................................................................5
Why Will this be Important? ......................................................................5
Supporting material: ..................................................................................6
...................................................................................................................7
...................................................................................................................7
Mentor:......................................................................................................7
References .................................................................................................9

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Title: The Breathing Building
I chose to use the word 'the' in the title because instead of having just a living building,
which conveys a sense of weakness, it is The living building. This is creating a sense of
mystery and makes the idea far more compelling. It makes it appear to audiences as
different, intellectual and awe-inspiring rather than a school project title that people would
just scroll past. It makes more of an impact at first glance and makes an audience more
intrigued by the true nature of the product. The 'the' makes the product seem more surreal
and important and more
than just a building. It
also avoids the confusion
of the word 'living' being
taken as a living space
rather than a living thing.

I have specifically chosen

the word breathing as by
using this language
evokes the feeling of
nature and natural
things. Already, this helps
give the product the
natural feel without
having to put the word
'nature' or 'natural'. This Figure 01. A futuristic design based of the ‘algae building’ that can
allows for the product generate its own energy using algae.
to rise above cheap
versions in the market and bypasses the distrust some people have for products that
contain these words in their title. It also refers to the ideas of biomimetics, referencing the
fact the biomimetics uses the designs found in living and breathing things to create
innovations rather than just human thought. It connect the product to the design stimulus
and by placing the word in the centre of the title, thereby making it the most noticeable, I
am making sure that an audience quickly grasps the fact that the word breathing’ is the
reason why this product is special, significant and important. It also relates the feeling of
freshness or newness that really connects to the project. The idea is to create something
new and refreshing.

I chose the word 'building' because it clearly defines what the product is while not being too
specific, therefore creating a sense of mystery. By not using the 'house' or 'home I am not
isolating people who are not interested in home decoration and are put off by the title
believing it to be something other than base design. The word 'building' avoids the what the
other two options would do, which would limit the product to being taken as a home décor
instruction manual or something of that kind. By using 'building' it is relating to everyone
and signifies that whatever the product is, it is not specific to any one thing. The design
could possibly be adapted to any type of building.

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Essential Question:
How can I incorporate my love of Biomimicry in a working system for the community?

I have always been interested the idea of mimicking nature and until I read an article
focusing on Andrew Parker, a fellow at the British Natural History Museum and inventor of
the new generation of solar panels inspired by flies eyes, did I really understand the
implications of using natures design in everyday life.
I then started doing massive amounts of research into this idea. Research into individual

Figure 02. The Eden Project in the UK is the world’s largest greenhouse structure.
ideas and then into the bigger picture of sustainable living through following natures
designs. Then thinking of individual initiatives. For example, greenhouses that utilise the
heat in African deserts and seawater to create a system that actually produces more
resources that can nourish the surrounding area. Greenhouses that use materials to create
soap like bubbles to create a structure that is lighter than all the air inside it.

Rather than creating an individual item or focusing on what a specific group of animals can
provide the world of biomimetics, both of which would satisfy my love for biomimicry, this
question forces me to look beyond that and focus on what would be impactful in my
community. Fulfilling the social aspect of this type of project that is design to help a student
think beyond the school walls and into the real world as we will have do to eventually,
developing critical thinking and helping students analyse and evaluate the problems within
our society. This essential question will help me to do that and has already led me down the
path of creating a house that could be useful in a changing world. It will help me think
deeper into the workings of society and what a western ideal society needs.
By creating a question that incorporates the two aspects of science and society I will end up
creating a product that merges the two together, as this is the question I will continue to
come back to, in order to cement the fundamental idea of this project.

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Product description:
My Product will be a fully functioning, economically supportable, and fully sustainable
house that incorporates a wealth of different biomimetic designs into one closed loop
system. I will present it in the format of a modelled building. Since I am no engineer there
are limitations as to ways I can present a prototype. Building a full-scale model is obviously
not feasible, however, I have done some research into the kinds of software I can use to
build an online, digital model of this building. The options were either CL3VER or Blender,
and since CL3VER is not free, Blender is the better option. Blender is a design software that
allows you to create a whole range of different projects including animations, motion
capture, simulations and modelling. I will mostly be working with modally though. I did
research into Blender and it is a highly recommended platform that can create amazing
products. Having this front and centre in a display. This would allow people to examine the
structure of the building better and gain a greater understanding the form that such a
project would take. This is far more effective than a wordy description or drawing as a
digital 3d depiction can be viewed from multiple angles, zoomed in, and is easier to design.

In terms of the text accompanying the finished design of my house structure, I had two
options. One was to create a poster with pictures of the digital model and highlighting the
different elements incorporated, the second was to present a report explaining every idea
that relates to biomimetics' and sustainability. I decided on the former as is can be
presented in a more engaging way.

The design for the final product will be outlaid in a very engaging way. I will use posters
behind to display the outer features of the design using a colourful theme that draws the
eye. Bold titles clearly outlining the different areas on the outside of the house and what
elements have been used in each section. Done in a way that makes it easy to understand at
a distance with a birds-eye view of the house with a circle diagram travelling around the
exterior and having thought or text bubbles floating from different points around this
picture. Using photos of the digital model to show wear a certain item would be placed,
alongside photos of the innovation. This allows for ideas to be easily connected with each
other while maintaining their own space to be described and explained.

These would then be complemented by posters and information sheets beside the
computer array explaining the interior components. It would be conducted as a house tour,
starting with the entrance and leisure space, leading to the kitchen and bathrooms, then the
bedrooms and any other side areas that could be explored later. This would give the viewer
a sense of the scale and how each area could be used in day to day life. Along with the
information regarding the design elements that have been integrated into a specific area,
there will be additional information on how to you yourself save energy, by way of handy
tips and small products to buy that are being used to increase energy efficiency. These
would be presented as an infographic to be impactful and successfully remembered by
readers. Modules that function externally will be colour coded according to their role of
either energy, waste, or sustainability and regrowth, making similar features easily
identifiable.

I will be using colour coding throughout everything, the posters, the print outs and the
house. This is really important as when trying to catch the eyes of a potential buyer a

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company will use specific colours to grab some ones attention, and all the colours on the
product will have significance. Whether it’s to help people recognise the brand or make
connections to other products of the same colour scheme. This is the type of phycology that
I will use to catch people’s attention and draw them towards my presentation. I will also
have a very green colour theme to match with the idea of the environment and all things
natural. This will give a very calm look to the presentation rather than a clash of colours all
over the place. The shape of the posters will be very smooth as to draw the attention of the
viewer in a certain direction. Packets at the supermarket use this as well, rather than a block
shape companies use smooth geometry to lead the eye in a certain direction.

Product Purpose:
What is Biomimicry?
Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human
challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies. The goal is to create
products, processes, and policies and new ways of living that will better adapt us to survive
as a species on earth. The core idea is that nature has already solved many of the problems
we are grappling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. After
billions of years of research and development, what surrounds us is the secret to survival. In
like manner, we can also learn to design houses, cities and entire countries using the closed
loop cycle that nature has perfected. There are no waste heaps, plant scrap piles or polluted
rivers found in the natural world because there is always something or someone that utilises
what another casts off as useless. Everything has a purpose, without the astoundingly
complex pattern of want and recycle nothing would survive for long. The same seems to be
applying to us as every day we beckon the water to rise up just a little bit further onto the
sand.

Why Will this be Important?

In an ever-changing world with increased stress on environmental sustainability biomimicry
is an incredibly fast growing and much-needed outlook on the world and the resources it
provides us. While finding individual innovations that better utilise our energy resources are
revolutionising the market, it is creating a treasure trove of these ideas in one design that
will bring together the greatest minds in the field and define the future of living spaces. By
creating a project like this I can reach out into the community and maybe take this project
further. As we have recently discussed in our year 9 outreach ‘Ad Astra’ program that
focuses on community involvement. By using this opportunity to engage with the
environment and the community I will create a project that could potentially By creating
this project I am expanding my knowledge of the subject and this will help me in the future
if I peruse biology.

My Goals:
My goal with this project is to not only raise awareness to this emerging field of bio-design
that will revolutionise our very foundations of society but to also explore and analyse the
many astonishing discoveries being made in this field. I plan to look into the future of
bioengineering and test the limits of what is possible. There are experiments being done all
over the world. A great example is the city of Hammarby near Stockholm which is paving the
way for self-sustaining cities. However the challenge is not just creating a city that can
provide its own electricity and recycled waste program, it is designing a house that can be

5
isolated and still be fully functional with no support or major pipe system. When this is
achieved then, and only then, will we have cracked the code to sustainable living.
I also aim to make the presentation of this project as engaging as possible. This would help
people not only to remember it but also encourage them to be more aware of their
sustainability environmental impact. To connect people more with their surroundings, and
to make people think about all the incredible gifts that nature has to offer. Not just in
beauty but in design as well.

Supporting material:
As my topic is based around scientific ideas I did some research
into different products that have been made.
The Sharks Paintbrush is an amazing book and
helped me understand the concepts that define
Biomimetics. It talks about the different ways that
biomimicry can be used and how this translates into
everyday life. This gave me the idea of creating a
house that utilises all these ideas. It also give tips on
the business side of products and how to get a
business up and running that focuses on
biomimicry. Jay Harman discusses reasons for
introducing biomimetics into the global arena and
how this could affect the global system. Using this
book has allowed me to expand my knowledge and
understanding of the subject. Figure 03. Cover of The Sharks Paintbrush

Figure 04. The default home setting of

Blender, a 3D rendering platform.
Figure 05. A 3D rendered house, similar to the style
I wish to use. This helped me understand what to
include in a presentation of a model house.

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 Figure 06. A futuristic holiday house that has much the same aesthetic that
would be very engaging to an audience.

Figure 07. really helped me organise my

thinking. This is a great example of how
to set up and work through a closed loop
system. This is really important in my
product as one of my key themes in
sustainability and switching from a linear
model to a closed loop system. This
waste free system is very complex and
yet this is a very simple representation of
it. Thus allowing for a gentle sink into the
idea rather than a block of information

Figure 07: Example of the presentation of a

closed loop system.

Figure 08. is an example of utilising space,

climate and resources. This design incorporates
a range of ideas into one feature. This is useful
when trying to understand the practical
applications of biomimicry and what it looks like
to implement. This is a reference on how to
portray this implementation.

Figure 08: A collection of Biomimetic ideas in

an arid setting.

Mentor:
As this project is based around scientific principles I knew that the best option was to look
to either organisations based specifically around biomimicry, teachers at this school or
university students based in Canberra studying biomimetics, bio-design or ecology. The
problem with reaching out to an organisation was that it becomes difficult to communicate
ideas. For example the two organisations that I had narrowed my online options down to
was Biomimicry Institute and Bioimimicry.net, amazing initiatives that I have used for ideas
and I am planning on continuing using as they have a great wealth of knowledge and will be

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very useful when looking at different designs. However both of these organisations are
based in the USA and therefore the only method of communication I would have is email
and potentially skype. Neither are great for connection as this sort of mentoring requires
face-to-face discussion of ideas. This makes it so much easier to analyse and talk through
ideas and concepts.

The other option of finding a university student or lecturer who specialises in this branch of
biology would have been incredibly challenging because of my lack of connections. Doing
some research into the ANU I found no way to contact student groups or lecturers, the only
email given was a student inquiry email address that was only for student of the university.
In the incredibly unlikely event of finding some way to contact specific people the chances
that they would be willing to help a student project was even slimmer due to time
constraints and meeting places. Therefore I looked inside the school for my mentoring
options. I then decided that the best option to start with was Mrs O’Brien. As my science
teacher from year 7 I already know her, which would make it easy to communicate. It would
also solve the problem of communication as we can meet on the school campus during or
after school, as I stay after school on most days. Allowing face-to-face interactions and
discussions which are vital to successful communication.

I then emailed Mrs O’Brien and then emailed again after a day to ask if she could reply as
soon as possible.

8
To which she
replied:
A great start
to the
semester. We
have planned
to meet about
once a
fortnight.

References
1. Bhattacharya, Anurag. "Biomimetics In Greenhouse Design." Issuu. N.p., 2014. Web.
14 Feb. 2018.
https://issuu.com/anuragunlimited/docs/biomimetics_in_greenhouse_design
This source looked at the science behind greenhouse design and really helped when looking
into how to incorporate scientific principles into design. This will be useful later on when I
am designing a house that has a very efficient ventilation systems.

2. "Biomimicry And Science: Applying Nature’S Strategies | Ecorise." Ecorise.org.

N.p., 2018. Web. 5 Mar. 2018. https://ecorise.org/product/biomimicry/
This website, although being a price for a book, allowed me to look through the resources
they had available on the topic of Biomimicry and Science: Applying Nature’s Strategies.
They had a description of what to include in challenges relating to biomimetics, which
happens to be exactly what I am doing. These resources walks you through how to design a
nature- inspired solution to critical world problems.

3. Blakers, Andrew. "Explainer: What Is Photovoltaic Solar Energy?." The

Conversation. N.p., 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2018. http://theconversation.com/explainer-
what-is-photovoltaic-solar-energy-12924
This was useful as I was researching different types of renewable resources and specifically
solar energy, which is easy to incorporate into houses. This helped me understand the
science behind different solar cells.

4. "Bloomberg’S Week In Pictures." Bloomberg.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 11 Mar. 2018.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2018-03-11/as-xi-rises-the-cult-of-mao-
lives-on
This had a lot of increadible stories from around the world, where biomimicry is being used.
This gave ideas on the type of product I wished to create and what it was going to address.

5. Bunk, Katharina. "Biomimetics And Sustainability: The Example Of Self-Cleaning

Surfaces." Blogionik. N.p., 2017. Web. 3 Mar. 2018.
http://www.blogionik.org/biomimetics-sustainability/

9
This blog delves into sustainability and what it means to be sustainable. This was useful to
be as I was looking at different ways we can be sustainable and what is the most effective
solution to problems. It also takes a look at the connection between biomimicry and
sustainability, which was helpful when I was researching into the topic of biomimicry.

6. Conelly, Erin. "What Is Biomimicry? – Biomimicry Institute." Biomimicry Institute.

N.p., 2018. Web. 16 Feb. 2018.
https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/
This website provides amazing resources and guides into biomimetic principles and design
features. It also provides great examples of the challenges faced when designing biomimetic
products. It has some great videos explaining designs being used all over the world and
different ideas on how we can adapt them into our lives. On top of that it has a global
network that connects regional centers all around the world. Making available ideas from
everywhere.

7. Douglass, Michelle. "Nine Incredible Buildings Inspired By Nature." Bbc.com. N.p.,

2018. Web. 6 Mar. 2018. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150913-nine-incredible-
buildings-inspired-by-nature
This BBC article featured all sorts of buildings created by studying nature. I can and will use
some of the design principles that this collection of amazing buildings does.

8. Harrison, Erika. "Asknature - Innovation Inspired By Nature." AskNature. N.p., 2018.

Web. 11 Mar. 2018.
https://asknature.org/groups/#.WqTgGWWU7u4
This is the most comprehensive online catalogue of biomimetic designs and ideas. This is a
system set up and run by the Biomimicry Institute and contains thousands of natural
solutions to real world problems. For me it provides a library to explore and discover new
innovations that are being used all over the world. It is sorted into the categories of
biological strategies, resources, and inspired ideas. By typing into the search bar for a design
problem Ask nature gives you the solutions that nature has come up with. This helped me
do research into the different areas of Biomimicry.

9. Mueller, Tom. "Biomimetics- Design By Nature." National Geographic Magazine

2008: 2-4. Web. 20 Feb. 2018.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/04/biomimetics/tom-mueller-text/1
This resources looked at the many ideas circulating around the biomimicry world. It had a
lot of information regarding design strategies and real world applications.

10. "Photovoltaics." CSIRO Australia. N.p., 2015. Web. 9 Mar. 2018.

https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/EF/Areas/Solar/Photovoltaics
This source discussed the research being done in the field of renewable energy and
specifically solar energy. The CSIRO is currently working on Photovoltaics which I will
incorporate into my design.

11. Royall, Emily. Defining Biomimicry: Architectural Applications In Systems And

Products. 1st ed. Austin, Texas: Centre for Sustainable Development, 2014. Web. 14
Feb. 2018.

10
https://soa.utexas.edu/sites/default/disk/analytic_tools/analytic_tools/09_02_su_royall_e
mily_paper_ml.pdf
This was an excellent paper written on biomimetic designs in cities and how we can expand
that into every city to increase its functionality. It focuses on the project Hammarby, an
almost entirely self-sustaining city that uses many ideas and principles that I will use in my
design.

12. Vierra, Stephanie. "Biomimicry: Designing To Model Nature | WBDG Whole

Building Design Guide." Wbdg.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 Mar. 2018.
https://www.wbdg.org/resources/biomimicry-designing-model-nature
This site looks at the implications of biomimetics on the global scale and also provides
examples of applications. I goes into what is and why do we need biomimicry at all. This was
a very useful resource for my product purpose.

13. Vincent, Julian F.V. et al. "Biomimetics: Its Practice And Theory." The Royal Society.
N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018. http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/9/471
This site led me to a book which I then ended up borrowing from the local library. The Royal
Society did also have other books on the topic, however these were not accessible.

Images
Figure 01. Inhabitat. First Algae Powered Building World. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2018.
http://www.buildup.eu/en/practices/cases/biq-house-first-algae-powered-building-world

Figure 02. Inhabitat. Eden Project: Giant Bubble Biomes Form The World’S Largest
Greenhouse. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2018. https://inhabitat.com/eden-project-giant-bubble-
biomes-are-worlds-largest-greenhouse/

Figure 03. KAP Design Studio. The Shark’S Paintbrush. 2018. Web. 12 Mar. 2018.
http://thesharkspaintbrush.com/the-book/

Figure 04. Read the Docs. The Default Blender Window. 2016. Web. 1 Mar. 2018.
http://blender-manual-i18n.readthedocs.io/ja/latest/interface/introduction.html

Figure 05. CGTrader. 3D Models Luxury Contemporary House. 2013. Web. 8 Mar. 2018.
https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/exterior/house/3d-models-luxury-contemporary-
house

Figure 06. Weber Consulting. Design Of Future Dream House. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2018.
http://www.inspirefirst.com/2011/12/27/wonderful-design-future-dream-house/

Figure 07. Pawlyn, Michael. Using Natures Genius In Architecture. 2016. Web. 25 Nov.
2017. https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/

Figure 08. HOK. Algae Powers Process Zero Concept Building. 2018. Web. 10 Mar. 2018.
http://www.hok.com/thought-leadership/algae-powers-process-zero-concept-building/

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