All sciences use nature as their compass. Nature served as and still does serve as humanity’s first teacher. Studying and imitating nature develops a certain field of inquiry. The term “biomimicry” refers to the imitation of organic biological processes in scientific inquiry. Biomimicry, a new area of study, is an innovation technique that looks for long-lasting solutions by imitating nature’s well-established patterns.
The concept of biomimicry was popularised by Montanan writer and science enthusiast Janine Benyus in her book Biomimicry – Invention Inspired by Nature (1997), De Mestral’s idea of drawing inspiration from nature and mimicking and copying the behaviour of biological organisms. Benyus believed that the examples seen in nature should be imitated after reflecting on the marvels he had witnessed.
Architects can draw inspiration from nature in the same way that designers and scientists do. The field of architectural design, like many others, maintains that behaviour is similar to that of nature. For instance, it is used as a source of inspiration for architectural designs, building materials, and aesthetic and environmental systems. The article in this context discusses biomimicry, a recent advancement in the field of architecture, the notion of nature as inspiration, the concept of biomimicry, its methods, its application to architecture, and how to think about design and nature in the context of architectural sustainability.
Table of Contents
Biomimicry: The Study Context
Emerging disciplines such as “biomimicry” focus on studying natural materials with the intention of mimicking or taking inspiration from them to develop human-centered solutions. The concept of “biomimicry,” which is discussed in this article, refers to a new area of study that selects natural principles and creates products and processes in line with rules that have conserved life for 3.8 billion years. In a word, biomimicry is “the invention that is inspired by nature.”
As a result of the expansion of human understanding and the development of technology, the systems and patterns in nature that inspire appreciation are becoming more and more obvious every day. Beginning to be actively practised was the area that particularly fascinated scientists and designers. As a result, biomimicry became a strategy with successful results that was embraced by a number of professions.
By first analysing, then mimicking, or drawing inspiration from natural models, biomimicry seeks to solve problems. An illustration of how biomimicry, a technique for innovation, seeks out sustainable solutions by imitating nature’s tried-and-true patterns and strategies is a solar cell that was inspired by a leaf. Long-term adaptation of new products, procedures, and policies—new ways of living—to life on earth is the goal.
Nature as Mentor
As it is commonly and universally acknowledged throughout the world, nature is the most significant source of inspiration and innovation for architects and has always been people’s main source of creative inspiration. Based on the notion that nature herself produced the earliest decorative objects. Bones around the neck, flowers in the hair, conches, and shells. There is no doubting that the most imaginative architects draw their inspiration mostly from the natural environment.
A design which contains elements that go beyond simple inspiration. It’s instruction. Additionally, it transcends simple imitation. Philosophically “powerful,” not physically strong. Everything that nature generates is harmonious down to the last little detail. Being arranged in a way that adheres to the conventional definition of beauty.
According to recent research, some architects get inspiration for their creations from the natural world, discarding all previous architectural forms in favour of the new modern ones. The extent to which nature may inspire construction was later discovered. Although it has been highlighted that only Gaudí had been able to see behind the intricate outward appearance, searching for the solutions to nature’s laws and saying that Nature was his teacher by thoroughly revealing not just the presence of skins but also of souls, systems, and structures.
Photographer Unknown | Source: https://www.pinterest.com
Another such architect who did this through researching the environment and natural laws is Frank Lloyd Wright. He was able to understand how to take environmental information and extract it from a structure’s structural arrangement. For instance, in 1943, Frank Lloyd Wright created the spiral ramp of the Guggenheim Museum, which was motivated by seashells.
Strategies of Biomimicry
Biomimicry brings our modern ideology closer to the natural world by using natural events as a source of design inspiration to properly address human problems. To link the built environment to the natural world, biomimicry looks to Mother Nature as a model, a standard, and a mentor. This tactic is justified by the notion that “it is more likely that others will accept us on this home that is ours, but not solely ours, the more our world mimics this natural world in appearance and operation.”
Photographer Karen Verbeek | Source: https://www.bioinspired.sinet.ca
Biomimicry techniques typically fall into one of two groups as a design methodology: The act of articulating a human need or design challenge and investigating how other creatures or ecosystems address it is known as “design looking to biology.” The process of recognising a certain trait, action, or function in an organism or ecosystem and incorporating it into human creations is known as design influencing biology.
Applications of Biomimicry in Architecture
The words “biomimicry” and “mimesis” are the roots of the phrase, respectively (to resemble). In a similar vein, this concept—which also includes the phrases “biomimetic,” “biomimesis,” “biognosis,” and “bionic”—is used in a number of areas for research and study to develop more advanced technology by drawing inspiration from nature. Biomimicry has been applied in numerous areas, including fashion, electronics, the auto industry, and transportation. Through the use of biological research, biomimicry can improve current technology and progress a number of different sectors.
Biomimicry is commonly employed in architecture. One such incident occurred in 1851 when James Paxton used his views of huge water lilies to design the Crystal Palace’s structural underpinning. The natural world had an impact on several designers of the same century, including Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright steered clear of making nature a defining element of his designs even if he incorporated organic building into them. His entire worldview was that architecture should be inspired by nature, not the other way around. Le Corbusier claimed that biology was “the major new term in architecture and planning.”
The usage of biomimicry is demonstrated by the examples of nature-inspired architecture, especially in terms of form, structure, and texture. The Armadillo Concert Hall gets its name from the animal that served as inspiration, while the Bahai House of Worship borrows its shape from the lotus flower (Clyde Auditorium).
Nature-Inspired Buildings: Case Studies
Architecture has long been inspired by nature and has a connection to the natural world. By understanding the rules that govern the shape rather than merely copying it, biomimicry is commonly used in design to create sustainable solutions. It is possible to spot three levels of mimicry: in the species, in its behaviour, and in the ecology. The following is a selection of case studies to help you understand how architecture uses biomimicry.
La Sagrada Familia, by Antonio Gaudí
Photographer Unknown | Source: https://www.pinterest.com
One of the most striking organic designs of the Sagrada Famlia is the interior structural support. Instead of using typical columns, Gaudí used a vertical framework that had the appearance and support of a tree. These tree branches naturally supported the weight of the leaves, but in Gaudí’s cathedral, they also held up the weight of the ceiling’s “canopy” of artwork. In addition to the cathedral’s structural support, Gaudí wanted to draw inspiration from nature for its ornamentation. The ceiling was made to resemble a canopy of trees.
The doors were greatly influenced by nature, just like the tree-like columns supporting the cathedral’s interior. In order to get the shape that would appear to be the most “natural,” Gaudí attached lead bags to a rope in a symmetrical configuration. The rope was then fastened to the wall at both ends and hung against the wall. The Sagrada Familia’s gateways and a number of his other creations were shaped by Gaudí in the resulting hyperbolic shape.
The shape of a snail’s shell served as inspiration for the staircase design of the Sagrada Famlia. Gaudí, who frequently observed the falling maple-seed pods, decided to model the stairs after their motion. The apse has a sculpture of a lavender stem in bloom. The apostles’ and evangelists’ towers are topped with identically shaped pyrite stones.
Lotus Temple by Fariborz Sahba
Photographer Unknown | Source: https://www.pinterest.com
The Lotus Temple was created by Fariborz Sahba as a site of worship honouring the religion’s universality in Delhi, the nation’s capital. Hindu mythology’s most cherished flower, the lotus, is employed to construct its form and conjure up ideas of holiness and spirituality. The design can block the sun’s harsh rays even in India’s blazing heat, keeping the interiors cool and well-lit.
The lotus as an organism had an impact on the structure’s shape. The main idea behind the design is that instead of the typical sculptures and carvings found in temples, two fundamental elements—light and water—have been used as ornamentation.
Conclusions
The issue of teleology in nature is exclusively addressed by the study of biology. The creation of new ideas and inventive biological approaches help to solve architectural problems. Examples of previous uses of the living world in architecture include bio-utilization, form, structure, abstract rule, concept, and theory inspiration. To reach a judgement or develop organic remedies, not enough investigations have been conducted.
The biomimicry technique can be used to solve human problems since it can be used to conserve energy by studying and mimicking natural processes. Currently, it is recognised as a viable approach to employ biomimicry to draw inspiration from nature to assist in sustainably resolving human problems.
Finally, it may be argued that learning about nature, bio learning, and living things stimulates creative thinking and new approaches to problems. The green planet is an attitude. It is crucial.
