Showing posts with label Biomimicry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biomimicry. Show all posts
Biomimicry and Architectural Furniture
As part of my research for my Platform project, I decided to explore the idea of creating a new space that has been inspired by the dome shape created by the branches of willow trees. My models expand on this idea:
Biomimicry Explored: Bringing Nature Into Architecture
From my research it is evident that the original understanding of biomimicry was to take inspiration from nature in its most literal sense, by making the buildings reflect the visuals of its original natural form. Today, designers are reproducing the functional systems that are found in nature in order to provide cooling, generate energy and even to desalinate water.
I have been really inspired by the idea of biomimicry and I am interested in incorporating this interesting idea of design into the work I am doing as part of my Platform which is to create a piece of 'Architectural Furniture for a small site'...
I have been really inspired by the idea of biomimicry and I am interested in incorporating this interesting idea of design into the work I am doing as part of my Platform which is to create a piece of 'Architectural Furniture for a small site'...
Biomimicry Explored.
I am really interested in the idea of biomimicry and came across an interesting paper:
By Maibritt Pedersen Zari
This paper explore the use of Biomimicry and the way ecosystems are emulated as a basis for design as a result of the potential it offers as a way to create a more sustainable and even regenerative built environment for both the present and the future.
From this table we can see the Biomimicry is split into three levels of application; the organism, behaviour and ecosystem.
Within each of these levels, a further five possible dimensions to the mimicry exist. The design may be biomimetic for example in terms of what it looks like (form), what it is made out of (material), how it is made (construction), how it works (process) or what it is able to do (function).
Within each of these levels, a further five possible dimensions to the mimicry exist. The design may be biomimetic for example in terms of what it looks like (form), what it is made out of (material), how it is made (construction), how it works (process) or what it is able to do (function).
The organism level: refers to a specific organism like a plant or animal and may involve mimicking part of or the whole organism.
Example:
Waterloo International Terminal designed by Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners is able to respond to changes in air pressure as trains more through the terminal. It's glass panel fixings mimic the flexible, scaly Pangolin so they are able to move in response to imposed forces.
The behaviour level: refers to the mimicking behaviour, and may include translating an aspect of how an organism behaves, or relates to a larger context. In behaviour level biomimicry, it is not the organism itself that is mimicked, but its behaviour.
Example:
An architectural example of biomimicry at the behaviour level is demonstrated by the CH2 Building in Melbourne, Australia. The design basis of this building is in part on techniques of passive ventilation and temperature regulation observed in termite mounds, in order to create a thermally stable interior environment. Water which is mined (and cleaned) from the sewers beneath the CH2 Building is used in a similar manner to how certain termite species will use the proximity of aquifer water as an evaporative cooling mechanism.
The ecosystem level: is the mimicking of whole ecosystems and the common principles that allow them to successfully function.
Example:
An advantage of designing at this level of biomimicry is that it can be used in conjunction with other levels of biomimicry (organism and behaviour). It is also possible to incorporate existing established sustainable building methods that are not specifically biomimetic such as interfaced or bio-assisted systems, where human and non-human systems are merged to the mutual benefit of both.
An example is John and Nancy Todd’s Living or Eco Machines where the process of waste water treatment in ecosystems is mimicked and also integrated with plants. Eco-Machines offer unsurpassed environmental, technological, and economic advantages over conventional wastewater treatment options by mimicking the water purification processes found in wetlands and marshes.
Biomimicry and Cradle to Cradle.
Biomimicry – the art of drawing inspiration from nature’s designs – is a strategy often found depicted in sustainable forms of architecture, and this tree-inspired super-structure, designed by William McDonough (Cradle to Cradle), exemplifies a ‘healthy’ and high-tech eco design for the future.
This latest proposal for the Tower of Tomorrow focuses on the possibilities of today, for a future context, integrating green and tree-like inspired systems in a super efficient, forward-thinking architectural design.
The shape of the building is aerodynamic, reducing the impact of the wind, while its curved form reduces the amount of materials needed for construction, increases structural stability and maximises enclosed space. Vegetation is abundant in the design of this structure, with a green roof and three-story atrium gardens planned on the western side of the building.
In response to the use of water: the waste water from sinks and bathtubs would be recycled and used for irrigation in the building’s gardens; the waste water from gardens could further be reused in toilets.
Water is recycled in the building several times over. Greenhouses treat wastewater from sinks and bathtubs for reuse as irrigation in the building's gardens, a process made possible when nontoxic cleaning products are used. Cleansed by the gardens, the water can be used again as non-drinking water—for example, in toilets.
In terms of how energy is preserved and generated, the southern façade would be made of about 100,000 square feet of ‘photovoltaic panels’ that convert sunlight into electricity. The robust system could provide up to 40 percent of the building’s needs. A combined heat-and-power plant would also be installed, to be fuelled by natural gas, which could supply the power that the solar panels cannot.
After a close study of the sun and shadows, the shape and orientation of the building are tailored to the site. This building faces south toward a park, so it can capture maximum sunlight, and its irregular form allows more daylight to reach the street. Gardens circle the base, contributing to the quality of life at street level.
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| A wall of 'photovoltaic panels' convert sunlight into electricity. |
All products, from building materials to furnishings, could be recycled or returned safely to the earth in true Cradle-to-Cradle fashion.
TED'S TEN 6. Design that Looks at Models from Nature & History.
This seminar addressed the question:
How can the practices of the past and models from the natural world inform the process of design and production of the future?
This strategy is about how much designers can find inspiration and information for future sustainable design from studying and reflecting upon the habits and societies of the past and from biomimicry.
“Biomimicry is a new design discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.” - www.biomimicry.net
During the Seminar we covered:
Design to Minimise Waste Design that Looks at Models from Nature & History
Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a design discipline that seeks sustainable solutions by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies, e.g., a solar cell inspired by a leaf. The core idea is that Nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with: energy, food production, climate control, non-toxic chemistry, transportation, packaging, and a whole lot more.
Model: Biomimicry is a new science that studies Nature’s models and then emulates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems sustainably.
Mentor: 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.
Measure: Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge the sustainability of our innovations. After 3.8 billion years of evolution, Nature has learned what works and what lasts.
“Biomimicry is a new design discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.” - www.biomimicry.net
During the Seminar we covered:
Design to Minimise Waste Design that Looks at Models from Nature & History
Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a design discipline that seeks sustainable solutions by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies, e.g., a solar cell inspired by a leaf. The core idea is that Nature, imaginative by necessity, has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with: energy, food production, climate control, non-toxic chemistry, transportation, packaging, and a whole lot more.
Model: Biomimicry is a new science that studies Nature’s models and then emulates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems sustainably.
Mentor: 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.
Measure: Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge the sustainability of our innovations. After 3.8 billion years of evolution, Nature has learned what works and what lasts.
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| Green Building in Zimbabwe Modeled After Termite Mounds |
No. 1 Sustainable Design and Materials
As part of this elective in Sustainable Design and Materials, I have established this blog which will catalogue the information that I have gathered from lectures and present further research into the topics that have been discussed. Although this elective is heavily focused on TED [Textiles Environment Design] I intend to use the design strategies in relation to Interior and Spatial Design, and explore possibilities of reducing the impact ISD has on the environment.
As an ISD student I intend to focus my research and thoughts on design aspects involving architectural, interior and spatial design, hopefully resulting in exploring methods to create a 'greener' more sustainable environment to live, work and play in.
I chose the above image because of the way it incorporates some of the ideas explored in TED's Ten Design Strategies and it's relation to Interior and Spatial Design.
isover.com
I chose the above image because of the way it incorporates some of the ideas explored in TED's Ten Design Strategies and it's relation to Interior and Spatial Design.
isover.com
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