BIOMIMICRY
November 2, 2012New Delhi, India
Presented by
JAYESH HARIYANIM. Arch, MBA, AIA, COA, LEED AP
Burt Hill - Stantec
STANTEC SNAPSHOTS
Founded in 1954
Multidisciplinary global design firm
Recognized as a world-class leader and innovator in the delivery
of sustainable solutions.
Diverse range of markets at all stages of development
Trades on the TSX and NYSE (STN)
Stantec. One Team. Integrated Solutions.
STANTEC SNAPSHOTS
13500+ staff across 190 locations globally
56 years of uninterrupted profitability
18 practice areas
“Full-service” Buildings, Environment, Industrial, Transportation, Urban
Land and Construction Administration Services
Cutting-Edge Technology
Award Winning Projects
500,000 projects, 50,000 clients, in 80 different countries
ISO 9001:2008 Registered
Stantec. One Team. Integrated Solutions.
PRACTICE AREA GROUPS
Building Design & Interior Design
Buildings Engineering
Environmental
Infrastructure
Environmental
Management
Industrial Buildings & Facilities
Power
Resources &Chemicals
Transportation Infrastructure
Transportation Planning &
Traffic Engineering
Infrastructure Management &
Pavement Engineering
Planning & Landscape
Architecture
Urban Land Engineering
Survey &Geomatics
GLOBAL LEDERASHIP IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND
LEED
INTEGRATION OF SYSTEMS
ARCHITECTURE
HUMANISM
EXPERIENTAL DESIGN
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
THE ENVIRONMENT
Design Positioning Statement
Performance Based Design + INNOVATION
“From my designer’s perspective, I ask: Why can’t I design a building like a tree?A building that makes oxygen, fixes nitrogen, sequesters carbon, distils water, builds soil, accrues solar energy as fuel, makes complex sugars and food, creates microclimates, changes colours with the seasons and self replicates.
This is using nature as a model and a mentor, not as an inconvenience.It’s a delightful prospect…’(McDonough and Braungart,)
What is “Biomimicry”
It is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems.
From the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate.
What is “Biomimicry”Over the last 3.6 billion years, nature has gone through a process to refine the living organisms, processes, and materials on planet Earth.
It is not a new idea.
Humans have been looking at nature for answers to both complex and simple problems throughout our existence. Nature has solved many of today's engineering problems.
• Biomimicry, where flora, fauna or entire ecosystems are emulated as a basis for design
• It is a growing area of research in the fields of architecture and engineering.
WHY :• an inspirational source of
possible new innovation • The potential it offers as a
way to create a more sustainable and even regenerative built environment.
BIOMIMETIC APPROACHES
The widespread and practical application of biomimicry as a design method remains however largely unrealised.
WHY :
• Biomimetic approach to architectural design that incorporates an understanding of ecosystems could become a vehicle for creating a built environment that goes beyond simply sustaining current conditions to a restorative practice where the built environment becomes a vital component in the integration with and regeneration of natural ecosystems.California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA – LEED
PlatinumMafraq Dialysis Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Defining a human need or design problem and looking to the ways other organisms or ecosystems to solve this,
Identifying a particular characteristic, behaviour or function in an organism or ecosystem and translating that into human designs, referred to as biology influencing design
(Biomimicry Guild,)
DESIGN APPROACHES TO BIOMIMICRY:
1: DESIGN LOOKING INTO BIOLOGY:
Cartilege or Semi-rigid Car, by Tom Wiscombe Design
Designer looks to the living world for solutions, requires designer to identify problems and biologists to then match these to organisms that have solved similar issues.
This approach is effectively led by designer identifying initial goals and parameters for the design.
DESIGN LOOKING INTO BIOLOGY
Thematic Pavilion, South Korea
2:BIOLOGY INFLUENCING DESIGN
When biological knowledge influences human design, the collaborative design process is initially dependant on people having knowledge of relevant biological or ecological research rather than on determined human design problems. An examples is the scientific analysis of the lotus flower emerging clean from swampy waters which lead to many design innovations.
DESIGN APPROACHES TO BIOMIMICRY:
LEVEL OF BIOMIMICRY
Organism Level ( Mimicry of a specific organism)
Behaviour Level(Mimicry of how an organism
behaves or relates to its larger context)
Ecosystem Level (Mimicry of an ecosystem) :
o Formo Materialo Constructiono Processo Function
Humans have an extensive pool of examples to draw on to solve problems experienced by society that organisms may have already addressed, usually in energy and materials effective ways
ORGANISM LEVEL
Dragonfly at Sci Arc by Tom Wiscombe Design
Special feature, rather than a whole ecosystem
On a functional level, ecosystem mimicry could mean that an in-depth understanding of ecology drives the design of a built environment that is able to participate in the major biogeochemical material cycles of the planet.
ECOSYSTEM LEVELWhere objective is the wellbeing of ecosystems, rather than ‘power, prestige or profit’.
Biomimicry to be conceived as a way to increase sustainability of an architectural project…..
Mimicking of general ecosystem principles should be incorporated into the design at the earliest stage and used as an evaluative tool throughout the design process.
BIOMIMICRY TO INCREASE SUSTAINABILITY
Environmental assessment of existing biomimetic products reveals some practical consequences of the reductive mindset.
Simple imitation vs Green design
Imitation of the living world is not by default environmentally superior.
BIOMIMICRY: GREEN BY DEFAULT?
•Life builds form from the bottom-up
•Life fits form to function Behavior Level
•Life depends on Water
•Life is cyclic (processes) and recycles (material resources)
•Life is locally attuned and resourceful
•Life adapts and evolves
•Life coexists within a cooperative framework
Life’s Characteristics and Relation to Engineering
BIOMIMICRY =RESPONSIBLE DESIGN
10 Metrics for Evaluation of Design
1 The Story -narrative, theme, metaphor
2 Innovation -research, information, synergistic whole
3 Integration -all disciplines, concept through delivery
4 Sustainability -quantitative, beyond leed
5 Context -social, economic, physical, environmental
6 Aesthetics -composition, language, expression, taste
7 Humanism –emotional connection to physical space
8 Content -research, benchmarking, understanding client
9 Performance -technical response, project feasibility
10 Representation -communication of ideas
Agreed upon criteria for design assessment and evaluation
Basis for internal design audit
• HUMANISUM
• STORY
• INNOVATION
• INTEGRATION
• SUSTAINABILTY
• ASTHETICS
• PERFORMANCE
DESIGN METRICS
CLOSING REMARKS
• VISIONING
• PLANNING & PROGRAMING
• DESIGN
• EXICUTION
• OCUPATION & DATA COLLECTION
• ANALYSIS - RESEARCH &
SYNTHESIS
• VISIONING….
PROCESS CYCLE
• To emulate nature, our first challenge is to describe her in her terms.
• The collaborative team's ability to create a strong sense of community, clear goals, and their interest in searching for integrated designs that are inspired by nature will dramatically improve the results.
• Establishing and maintaining this forum for discovery requires more preparation, research and participation by more people (all stakeholders). More participation means more time and money. Fortunately there is a growing body of evidence that the additional investment delivers long term benefits including increases in flexibility, durability, and human health and productivity, with decreases in energy consumption, pollution and operating costs.
CHANGING THE METAPHOR
CLOSING
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA – LEED Platinum
Mafraq Dialysis Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE7407 SM
“Nature supports right actions”
“Nature works in parallel ways”
“The nature of life is to more and more”
“If a man is able to submit himself to nature, then
nature will react to his needs. Almighty nature
is powerful and all loving, for the laws of
nature are for the creation and evolution of all
beings and creatures throughout cosmos.
There is no greater kindness than the kindness
of nature.”
Quotes from Maharishi Yogi