Growing up, you'd probably get in big trouble if you were caught copying off of somebody else in school. Well, there's a school of thought where stealing ideas is encouraged: biomimetics.
So what is it?
As explained in a recent CNN.com article:
The art of copying nature's biological principles of design is now known as biomimetics...
History is littered with examples of humans copying nature's design. One of the best and most enduring examples was invented by the Swiss engineer George de Mestral.
While out walking his dog one
day de Mestral became annoyed by the burrs catching and sticking to his
clothes and in his dog's fur. He decided to study them under a
microscope. The magnification revealed a network of tiny hooks. The
product of his labors was Velcro, which was patented in 1951.
This idea of looking to nature for design innovations has become especially relevant in today's architecture. Even though Frank Lloyd Wright was kicking the Biomimetic idea way back in the day, newer architects today are rediscovering what Wright had already figured out. Everyone from Gehry, Calatrava and Lord Norman Foster are looking to the natural world for architectural inspiration. The CNN article points to one of Foster's most famous designs as an example of this bio-insight:
Lord Foster's design for 30 St. Mary Axe in London has been likened to the shape of a gherkin. But its true ancestral design is perhaps more like that of Hexactinellid sponges -- better known as glass sponges -- which sit at the foot of the deepest oceans. The shape of Foster's building and external lattice design are strikingly similar.
The comparisons don't end there. In his 2003 article 'Towards Biomimetic Architecture' in Nature, Hugh Aldersey-Williams pointed out that "It [the sponge] sucks water into its body at the base and circulates it upwards, extracting nutrients as it goes...Foster's building ameliorates the air currents round its base. Inside, it circulates air rather as the sponge pumps water, drawing it in low down, and allowing it to rise as it is warmed".
The result is a dramatic 50 percent reduction in the building's energy bills.
Nature has always inspired and awed us with its innovation and design excellence. It's about time we realize that as a part of the natural world, we can make all of our lives better by learning the lessons Mother Nature can teach us--if we are only willing to learn. You can read the entire article on biomimetics by following the link.
Book cover copyright steinrag.com. Building photo copyright greatbuildings.com
Comments