RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

AR-903

BIOMIMICRY :
SOLUTION TO ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE
ARCHITECTURE

SUBMITTED BY:
ADITI SHANDILYA
AMRITA MOHANTY
1
 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUTION 3-5
I. Biomimicry- Definition 3
II. Impact of Industrial Revolution in the architectural world 4
III. Need of biomimicry as a sustainable practice 5
2. BIOMIMCRY AS A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION 6-10
I. Biomimicry rules 6
II. Design approaches 7
III. Levels of biomimicry 8-10
3. CASE STUDIES- PROBLEM BASED DESIGN APPROACH 11-14
I. Kalundborg Eco-Industrial park, Zealand 11-12
II. St. Mary Axe, London 13-14
3. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CASE STUDIES 15
4. INFERENCES 16
REFRENCES

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 INTRODUCTION
• Biomimicry, the term comes from the Greek word
‘mimos’ which means mimic and ‘bios’ which mean life.
• The term ‘biomimicry” (gr. Biomimesis) was coined by
polymath Otto Schmitt in 1957, and first appeared as a
generic term including both cybernetics and bionics.
• The discipline can be defined as ‘mimicking the
functional basis of biological forms, processes and
systems to produce sustainable solutions’.
Thus, Biomimicry serves as a lens that expands the solution
Fig. 1. Greentumble Editorial Team. “Is Biomimicry an Answer to Our
space by directing us to the functional solutions already Environmental Problem?”. Adapted from Environmental Conservation,
Environmental Issues. 6 Dec. 2016. Brasov. Greentumble
available in nature and a strong weapon to combact
unsustainable practices.

Fig. 2. INSPIRATION OF NATURE TO THE BUILT

Biomimicry & Design: Lotus Building & Super-Trees of Singapore. Homeklondike think different. 28 Feb. 2017. Retrieved
from http://homeklondike.site/2017/02/28/biomimicry-design-lotus-building-super-trees-of-singapore/.

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 IMPACT OF INDUSTRAIL REVOLUTION

‘The Industrial Revolution’ also referred to as

‘The Fossil Fuel Age’ now exists as a diversion
from the kind of ingenuity that once existed in
common with nature’s evolved solutions. The
convenience of fossil fuels has allowed extreme
inefficiency to develop, and has effectively
eroded resourcefulness to its last limits. The
degradation of the environment and health is
another consequence of the era of mass
production(Fig.4).
Fig. 3. Political Impact & Intellectual Impact of Industrial Revolution, 2014.

Moreover, the design phase popularized the ideology “one size fits all” using standardization and brute
force that resulted in prosperous outcomes, it devastated and disregarded nature and its diversity
(Braungart & McDonough, 2008).
The learnings from nature which notified many vernacular approaches to design and manufacturing
were therefore abandoned and slowly lost its potency. Now the deficient resources in the present
scenario calls for fascination with nature that undoubtedly goes back as long as human existence
itself, now we have an opportunity to revisit the idea of learning from biology with massive advantages
of scientific knowledge, forwarding the approach towards environmentally sustainable architecture.

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 NEED FOR BIOMIMICRY AS SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
• In architecture, Biomimicry is a design inspired by
nature, helping save energy and resources.
Biomimicry helps synchronize between man and
nature through inspiration of nature and its
application to architecture and future design.
• Rapid consumption of fossil fuels and increase in
rate of global warming has left humans with no
other option but to return to mother nature for
solution, in turn challenging it to prove sustainable
for the crisis created by industrial designs.
Fig. 4. Verbeek, Karen . The Biomimicry Guild-“Biomimicry and Industrial
Design”. 2011.

• Current architectural practices regarding

sustainable design themes is not truly sustainable
in real means. This issue promotes design to be
regenerative; an approach that not only reverse
degeneration of the earth’s natural system but
create systems that can co- evolve with humans in
a way that forms mutual benefits and overall
expression of life.
Fig. 5. Binsacca, Rich. Biomimicry:Your Next Green
Standard. VISION 2020. 22 march. 2012.

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 BIOMIMICRY RULES
The way strategies and rules connected to individuals from the Stone Age to the hunter-gatherer
time will not work in the 21st century because of the expanded many-sided quality of life that
has advanced.
These fundamentals have not changed much and are still a major aspect of life, but how to
provide these fundamentals has been changed (Taylor, 2012).As a result, human life became
more powerful and more complicated, and scholars repeatedly reestablished the principles of
biomimicry.

Law:
It is defined as the special procedure
in which a specific action or thing
dependably prompts a specific
outcome. For example: The balance
of nature which reflects this concept,
rests in harmony, and disturbing one
component will affect the entire
system.

The Biomimicry law: Life Cycle Assessment; cradle-to-cradle assessment of

processes and methods, including direct, indirect, and supply chain effects
Source: Sianchuk, 2016

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 DESIGN APPROACHES

PROBLEMBASED SOLUTION-BASED
APPROACH APPROACH

Fig. 6. Biomimicry top-down and bottom-up approaches.

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 LEVELS OF BIOMIMICRY
Levels of Biomimicry

• The three levels of

5 Sub- levels

biomimicry that can be

BEHAVIOR FORM PROCESS
MATERIAL FUNCTION applied to design problems
CONSTRUCTION are : the organism level,
behaviour level and
ecosystem level. These
ECOSYSTEM
levels are very important
and they complete the
biomimicry approaches.
ORGANISM
• A framework is proposed for understanding the application
of biomimicry that redefines different levels of it and also
attempts to clarify the potential of the technique as a tool to
increase regenerative capacity of the built
environment(Table. 1).

Fig. 7. Levels of Biomimicry

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Table. 1. A Framework for the application of Biomimicry (adapted from Pedersen Zari M., 2007).

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 -Innovative schemes like the
Mobius Project(Fig. 7) have the
potential to transform buildings
and cities from problematic linear
system into closed loop models
that address the challenges faced
with material, energy and water
conservation(Thomson, 2012).
-Failure of a single element results
in non-functionality of the entire
system that proves to be a
challenge in the ecosystem level.
-The project has the ability to
potentially inspire
environmentally sustainable
schemes if the building has an
alternative method to access
elements of its material energy and
water cycle.

Fig.8. The Mobius Project- an example of ecosystem level mimicking

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 CASE STUDY
I. Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park, Denmark

Level of Biomimicry- Ecosystem Level

About the project:
Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park is an Industrial
symboisis network located in Kalundborg,
Denmark, that reflects functionality of ecosystem
as companies in the region collaborate to use each
other's by-products and share resources(Fig. 10).
The relationships among the firms comprising the Fig.10. Eco- Industrial Park with its nine core elements
Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park form an Industrial
symboisis. (Fig. 11).
Inspiration:
The Kalundborg Industrial Park was not originally
planned for industrial symbiosis. The park began in
1959 and slowly developed till 1993.The way the
organisms depend on other organism in an
ecosystem, similarly the industrial symbiosis mimics
nature in the sense that companies rely on each other
in the system(Fig. 13).
Fig.11. Mechanism of the industrial symbiosis

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 Fig.12. The collaboration of industries – mimicking symbiosis fro ecosystem

The nine core system(Fig. 12) in the park converts

waste to useful resources achieving sustainability
advantages. The system when operating individually
fail. The core elements that sustains the relationship of
the park are; water, energy and material. Reuse and
recycling ability of the three elements has reduced
pollution, wastage and sewage.. Ultimately, offering
the ability to understand biomimcry at legitimate level
for its application to architecture and sustainable built Fig.13. The collaboration of industries – mimicking symbiosis for ecosystem
environments.
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II. 30 St Mary Axe / Gherkin /Swiss Re Building

Level of Biomimicry- Organism Level

About the project:
The Gherkin is a commercial skyscraper in London's
primary financial district that stands as steel and glass
claded. Designed in a radial plan by Architect Foster and
Partners Steel, the building’s energy responsive enclosure
rectifies walls and roofs into a continuous triangulated skin
allowing column free floor space light and views. Fig.14. Venus Flower Basket

Inspiration:
Venus Flower Basket
Silica is widely used as a skeletal material in a diversity of
organisms. One such example is hexactinellid sponge,
found in the the siliceous skeleton system of the western
pacific, Euplectella Aspergillum or The Venus Flower
Basket(Fig. 14).
Specifications of the species include the skeleton
comprising an elaborating cylindrical lattice like structure
with hierarchical span levels. This strategy(Fig. 15) when
applied to building aids stronger construction outcomes in Fig.15. Inspiration strategy from marine world
structrure along with minimal materials.

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 The steel exoskeleton
mimics the lattice of the
venus flower, which
absorbs bending and
torque stresses.

Atrium allows ventilation

throughout the levels.

The shape of the

building reduces the
amount of volatile
winds at pedestrian
level and smoothens
air flows through the The building ventilates air in
area so there is less the similar way like the sponge
heat loss over the filters nutrients from water
surfaces of the from base by sucking and
building. expelling at top through holes
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 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
INSPIRATION APPLICATION SOLUTION DESIGN LEVEL OF
IN DESIGN APPROACH BIOMIMICRY

SYMBIOSIS Waste product of - Conversion PROBLEM ECOSYSTEM

one system of waste to BASED LEVEL
I. becomes the raw useful
material for resources
another forming a achieving
closed loop sustainability
model like advantages.
symbiosis in - Conservation
ecosystem. of water,
energy and
material.
SPONGE- The steel - Wind SOLUTION ORGANISM
VENUS exoskeleton resistant BASED LEVEL
FLOWER mimics the lattice - Natural
II. BASKET of the flower, ventilation and
which absorbs lighting
bending and problem solved
torque stresses.
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 INFERENCES
It can be concluded by defining Biomimicry as a tool to peek in nature to find a
successful solutions from different kinds of organisms that are solving their problems from
million years ago and put these design features into use in real-world architecture and
structure. Nature imitation has become the best approach for architecture and design to be a
part of their built environment and to deliver a bold ideas to their surroundings too. For
instance the case studies aids to prove a direct relationship that exist between nature and built
environment. The study defines the problems and renders solution, applications in desgn by
taking into account nature as a mentor. Moreover, the comparative study discussses the
contrast in solution that biomimicry offers based on the design problem of the project.
Sustainability ultimately links organs and organisms together, and can be defined as the agent
tying the Biomimicry “loop”. The task lies how will architects and urban designers enhance
people’s awareness of their natural environment and provide a better perception of
biomimicry in the application of human world.

Fig.15. Responsive Façade The facade of Esplanade Theatre, for example, mimics the semi-rigid
skin of the durian plant which is covered in thorns to protect Its inner content. The building’s
exterior adjusts throughout the day to allow sunlight in without overheating the space.

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 REFRENCES

• Ferwati, Salim et al. Employing biomimicry in urban metamorphosis seeking for

sustainability: case studies. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment 14 (40): 133-162,
2019. ISSN: 1886-4805.
• Gruber, Petra. "Biomimetics in architecture [Architekturbionik]." Biomimetics--Materials,
Structures and Processes. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2011. 127-148.
• El Ahmar, Salma Ashraf Saad. "Biomimicry as a Tool for Sustainable Architectural Design."
MS Thesis. Alexandria University(2011).
• Brading, Annabelle. "Is biomimicry the answer to environmentally sustainable
architecture?" Diss. University of Strathclyde Engineering, 2016. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
• Virmani, Sahil. Architecture and Nature. Diss. Vastu Kala Academy, 2014. Web. 30
July.2014.
• Button, Thomas. Biomimicry: A source for architectural innovation in existing buildings.
Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology, 2016.
• Pawlyn, Michael. Biomimicry in architecture. Vol. 15. London: Riba Publishing, 2011.

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