Biomimetic architecture: when the building becomes an ecosystem
Biomimetic architecture offers man a new prism of development in a world where restrictions in terms of resources are becoming essential. In the light of an era of sustainable development, biomimetic architecture opens a new path for designing the city of tomorrow .
Biomimetic Architecture in a constantly evolving world
Biomimetic architecture, as its name indicates, is greatly linked to biomimicry (a R&D approach which consists of drawing inspiration from the ingenuity of the mechanisms, properties and functions of living beings to innovate). Biomimetic architecture is defined as a design approach following codes and rules found in the living world in order to resolve frequent problems in the field of architecture. This makes it possible to introduce into biomimetic buildings the ingenuity and multifunctionality that living beings demonstrate.
Biomimetic architecture, a bridge between Man and Earth
In the 21st century, the electronics and communication technology sectors are growing. At the same time, this last century has seen another rupture: that of global urbanisation. Since the mid-20th century, urban growth has literally exploded across the entire surface of the globe (56% of the current world population lives in cities compared to 70% estimated in 2050!). While in 1950, the Île-de-France region was already home to more than 6 million inhabitants, it exceeded the threshold of 10 million inhabitants in 2005, reaching more than 12 million today! On a larger scale, the world population increases each year by around 80 million people, it is estimated that the world urban population will reach 9.6 billion in 2050 ! The architecture of certain very dense cities with strong demographic growth must therefore adapt, so why not take inspiration from living things via biomimetic architecture?
Be careful not to confuse design inspired by living things for aesthetic purposes with biomimetic architecture! Despite the obviously aesthetic interest in reproducing forms that remind us of the most beautiful things we observe in nature, biomimetic architecture is mainly inspired by the functionalities and properties of life to provide added value at a sustainable and functional level for innovative structures and buildings!
Biomimetic Architecture facing current challenges
The current high population growth poses several problems in our societies on several aspects:
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First, according to the UN, population growth is the “main factor driving food needs”. Indeed, non-renewable natural resources are decreasing sharply and the population is growing, this being problematic both for the populations but also at the political level, natural resources being vectors of conflicts.
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Then, we are currently seeing unprecedented degradation of soils and natural ecosystems , explaining, in part, the significant desertification of many territories. This is a consequence of the proliferation and difficulties in managing resources implied by mass urbanisation.
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Finally, the carbon footprint is also increasing enormously, leading to very large ecological overexploitation .
Biomimetic architecture can help us meet this challenge, by encouraging our societies to rethink inhabited spaces in order to increase their resilience. Namely, the concept of resilience is closely associated with a sustainable and circular, even restorative, approach. Biomimetic architecture can be expressed through buildings with optimised shapes and structures but also through the use of materials reducing our ecological footprint!
The city of Manila in the Philippines, among the densest in the world
Biomimetic architecture, a bridge between Man and Earth
Faced with the realities of this destruction caused by humanity, many designers and architects have committed to the restoration of environments and biodiversity. It is in this context that biomimetic architecture emerges, self-sufficient in resources and directly inspired by the nature that it hopes to heal.
Biomimetic architecture through the reuse of materials
As we know, in nature there really is no such thing as “waste”. All materials are reused or recycled, allowing other species to use them. In life, all materials involved in a transformation are useful and valued in a certain way. To avoid the term waste, we call co-products the residual products which are not those targeted by the transformation. We can therefore consider using bio-sourced materials, thus derived from organic matter, to produce biodegradable and recyclable materials. We can also valorise these co-products for other uses, such as using shrimp shells to produce plastic (Shrilk) or even duck feathers for insulation materials!
Certain species also use their natural environment to build their habitat, so we can think of drawing inspiration from these species for biomimetic architecture! This is what a 3D printing company did, taking inspiration from the mason wasp! In fact, mason wasps build nests in the ground in order to place their eggs and larvae there and therefore to protect them. The idea of a biomimetic architecture inspired by these wasps then makes it possible to build houses based on earth, natural fibers and binders & stabilisers inspired by the saliva of the mason wasp for habitats that are both sustainable and efficient.
In the same principle, we can also draw inspiration from termites, impressive builders capable of creating gigantic termite mounds and large underground galleries only with the use of their saliva and the surrounding earth! This is particularly useful for producing earth-based construction materials that are therefore biodegradable and bio-sourced. Biomimetic architecture is therefore also inspired by very inventive species using their environment (see our article on these incredible engineer species !)
An example of a large termite mound
Furthermore, much research has also been carried out to produce concrete with a smaller ecological footprint, in particular by using bio-sourced binders to facilitate the production of concrete. For example, we can cite Fortera cement which draws its inspiration from corals! Corals in fact produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding CO2, a compound necessary for the production of concrete. By imitating the biomineralisation process of corals during the concrete production line, concrete can be produced without the overconsumption of CO2. Here is yet another example of carbon footprint reduction (- 60% fewer emissions across the entire production chain) via biomimetic architecture!
Biomimetic architecture and its innovative ecological solutions
British architect Michael Pawlyn has embarked on the project of reforesting the Sahara using greenhouses inspired, for example, by desert fog-basking beetle (but also by permaculture, camel nostrils and other species). This specy of desert coprophagous beetles (especially in Namibia), is renowned for its ability to harvest moisture from the air. Indeed, the elytra of these insects - chitinous protections covering their wings - are punctuated with hydrophilic protuberances which increase the surface tension of the drops and cause them to coagulate. These collect moisture from the fog while hydrophobic hollows ensure the droplets formed are evacuated towards the head when the mealworm bends down! Hence its somewhat… special appearance!
By taking inspiration from this specy, it is therefore possible to redirect humidity more easily to supply greenhouses! This is a very promising and interesting example of biomimetic architecture in view of the current and future context!
The desert fog-basking beetle, bending to direct the drops towards its mouth © James Harris Anderson
These same strategies were used to imagine new housing solutions allowing the development of a symbiotic relationship between living things and buildings via biomimetic architecture. With this in mind, an architectural firm designed a bio-façade adapted to seaweed farming. Micro -algae, in addition to presenting an obvious aesthetic interest, capture CO2 present in the atmosphere and can be harvested to be used in the manufacture of biopolymers or biofuels. These products can then be used to remanufacture materials necessary for the construction of buildings, once again showing the ability of biomimetic architecture to reduce our ecological footprint!
We also find, in the biomimetic architecture of this green barrier, natural optimisation strategies. Taking direct inspiration from the stratification of forest ecosystems, the shade projected is used by solar panels to cultivate bushy or herbaceous species. An innovative and original way to reuse solar energy thanks to biomimetic architecture !
Thus, numerous biomimetic architecture projects are developing and little by little presenting an alternative to the city of concrete, glass and steel, for an integrated habitat, the child of the ingenuity of Man and Nature. Have you already heard of the “ Paris Smart City 2050 ” project? It is a biomimetic architecture concept by Vincent Callebaut aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% in Paris by 2050 by establishing much more nature in the city of lights! For example, we would find green towers using bio-air conditioning, towers containing cells that are united in terms of energy or even towers with very large plant walls allowing efficient photosynthesis! Enough to completely overhaul neighbourhoods using biomimetic architecture!
The concept of Paris Smart City 2050 © Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Biomimetic architecture, a bridge between Man and Earth
Biomimetic architecture and functionalisation
Biomimetic architecture makes it possible to create innovative designs to address many issues and can provide numerous advantages and benefits in several aspects, here are two examples:
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Temperature regulation :
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Taking inspiration once again from termite mounds, the Eastgate Center in Harare, Zimbabwe, mimics the passive cooling performance of termite mounds using porous materials that are also local and bio-sourced. This provides better nighttime ventilation and therefore better temperature regulation, allowing a 10% reduction in energy costs linked to air conditionning in a conventional building!
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South Korea's Thematic Pavilion is inspired by the bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae - it's actually a plant), which has the ability to open its petals when a bird lands on it, discovering the pollen of the flower which will be disseminated via the bird. This example of biomimetic architecture adapts according to the environment and the amount of sun perceived, making it possible to capture the most sun when the weather is cloudy and on the contrary to accentuate the shading when the weather is very sunny. This makes it possible to effectively regulate the temperature!
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Lighting :
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Another project by architect Michael Pawlyn, named “ The Biomimetic Office ”, is inspired by the eye of the barreleye fish, capable of efficiently focusing light into one point. By imitating its mirror structure, it is possible to increase the light level on the lower floors of this building, allowing in particular to use less electricity for lighting!
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Other bio-inspired functionalisations exist, such as hydrophobic surfaces (inspired, for example, by the lotus leaf) allowing automatic cleaning and protection of certain materials. Biomimetic architecture can therefore bring new benefits to certain buildings and is therefore very promising!
Biomimetic architecture and lightweight design
Lightweight design consists of the design of products or structures that are as light as possible while maintaining equal resistance to stress, particularly mechanical stress. Biomimetic architecture and lightweight design are therefore obviously linked, due to the need to design resistant buildings while using less material, for economic and ecological reasons.
Lightweight design in biomimetic architecture can manifest itself through the materials used, the shape or the structure of buildings. There are a lot of bio-inspired lightweight structures, such as cell-shaped structures inspired by bee hives that are found in several industrial fields, and which make it possible to effectively absorb vibrations.
Another example of lightweight biomimetic architecture is inspired by the Venus basket, or glass sponge, living in an environment with strong underwater currents and very high pressure due to its depth. Their shape allows them to distribute forces over their entire surface and therefore better absorb vibrations and inspired the Gherkin Tower in London!
Many bio-inspired lattice structures are also being sought and can still be found in order to have lighter structures using fewer materials but still very resistant!
Venus' basket, or glass sponge © NOAA under Creative Commons license
Conclusion
Biomimetic architecture, dictated by rules and codes observed in nature, is a subject of the future which could help reduce the harmful effects of population growth. It involves not only the reuse of materials and resources but also the functionalisation of new structures, enough to give ideas for your future at home!