When you throw something away,
where is away? Is there somewhere that
magically eradicates trash and debris?
If you're a plant, you have a system that takes care of that in an
amazing way. Nature does things so
differently than humans do. If a human
wanted to make a leaf, he would take some green material and cut out a leaf,
then throw away the left over material.
Nature makes the leaf exactly the size that is necessary. There is no waste in nature. When a tree drops its leaves in the fall,
those leaves become soil for the next year.
If humans could learn from nature and design with a sort of
ecosystem-like pattern, the world would be a different place and we would be practicing
biomimicry.
There has been a lot of
organic design going on lately, but this is copying the geometry of nature, not
biomimicry. Biomimicry has nothing to do
with appearance. The definition of biomimicry
is imitating or becoming inspired by nature's forms and processes in order to
solve human problems. The other way that nature has influenced design is through
bio-utilization. This is using nature to
solve a design problem, like using mushrooms in leeching fields where a septic
tank drains waste. This bio-utilization
is helpful, but should not be mistaken for biomimicry.
To begin the process of
biomimicry, the designer must first research and examine an organism or
ecosystem. Next, should come a
thoughtful execution of the design principles found in nature's solution. At this point we are learning from nature, not about nature. We must
always ask ourselves how nature would deal with an issue, then use biology as a
tool for solving this problem or achieving a function.
There are two ways
designers address the use of biomimicry in design. One is the problem-based approach. In this approach, the designer works with a
biologist after defining the problem.
They reframe the problem, find a biological solution, extract the
biological solution and apply it in the design.
The second approach begins at the solution. Once a biologist finds a solution, he must
collaborate with a designer to see if it can be used as a relevant design
consideration. When biological research
influences our design, the collaborative process depends on the collaborators
having relevant research, not on a particular design problem.
An example of problem-based
biomimicry usage comes from a product called Smart Paints. These paints use a self-cleaning technique
learned from lotus leaves. The paint surface has densely packed ridges like the
bumps on lotus leaves. These little
bumps prevent water drops from diffusing.
They roll off the surface taking any dirt and debris with them.
Similarly, biologists
were inspired by the way that conifer cones protect their seeds. This is a solution-based innovation. The spines close to keep the seeds dry on a
rainy day and open up to let the seeds go during dry weather. The FAZ Pavillion, located in Frankfurt,
Germany, is an example of biomimicry, which uses the conifer cone for its
design. Like the conifer cone, the
pavillion responds to weather changes based on a simple material element, which
has an embedded sensor, no-energy motor and regulating element. The pavillion's surface is fully open on
sunny days. When it rains, the humidity
triggers a rapid, autonomous response, closing the structure to form a
weatherproof skin.
These case studies
encourage us to include biologists early and fully in the design process. They should not be "add-ons" in
this process. We
can accomplish a great deal more when working with scientists as a team,
fully engaged in collaboration from the very start of a project.
Some biologists and
designers believe that our future interior spaces; where we work, live and
play, may be designed to function like living organisms. It is hoped that we will learn to use the
surrounding nature to provide our energy and water. The author of this article hopes that in the
future, architects and designers will be inspired by nature instead of
machinery.
