Biomimetic + Architecture

Life confers information to matter, giving it function, and consequently a form and structure. Applying this concept from nature across different fields of knowledge, such as Architecture, Design, and Engineering, defines the basic principles that govern biomimetics.

The Creative Process

Imitating nature has become a recurring approach among contemporary architects and engineers in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) field, especially for those promoting a future that does not compete with nature, but coexists with it.

Biological structures, perfected through 3.8 billion years of evolutionary processes, tend to optimize the use of materials and forces through their spatial configurations. In this way, nature’s efficiency, already refined by natural selection, can be used to generate unconventional architectural structures that still meet programmatic needs.

According to Aristotle, nature does nothing in vain, therefore it tends to evolve and adapt to its environment and the changes that come with it. A bio-inspired architecture takes nature as model, measure, and mentor, meaning its construction process, geometry, and spatiality should be dynamic, optimized, and possibly adaptive to local conditions, resulting in innovative and efficient architecture.

Terminology

First introduced by Sir William Herschel of the Indian Civil Service in 1858, the term Biometry, from the Greek bios (life) and metria (measurement), refers to the measurement and analysis of the unique physical or behavioral characteristics of a being or object. Today, biometrics is understood as a tool to distinguish identity, whether through facial scans or fingerprints.

The science of understanding the fundamentals of nature, how organisms and ecosystems are formed, and applying them to another field of knowledge such as architecture, with the goal of achieving optimized and innovative models, can be defined as Biomimetics, a term popularized in the mid-1990s by Janine M. Benyus. If we use biometry as a study tool to understand the applicability of biomimetics, could we then create a new concept of biological identity in architecture?

However, we must be cautious in the definition and use of these terms. A design should not be considered biomimetic if it merely copies nature aesthetically. Biomimetics is the study of principles, metrics, measurements, and biological behavior, such as mutation, crossover, and genetic evolution, which do not necessarily have a defined aesthetic language. Biophilia, on the other hand, can be used to describe designs inspired by the aesthetic of nature without incorporating its structural or compositional principles.

Applicability

The concept of biomimetics has been widely discussed around the world and can be applied across various fields of study.

In architecture, its importance is clear, since it encompasses environmental, structural, and even behavioral concerns. The use of natural resources has already become a common and immediate practice in situations that demand sustainable approaches. Yet beyond using local materials or effective energy-harvesting technologies, architects can also apply their structural knowledge, spatial awareness, and understanding of behavioral patterns to rethink tradition.

A less obvious example of applying nature’s principles in architecture is the use of non-linear optimization algorithms, such as Particle Swarm, inspired by the social behaviors of birds and fish schools, where individuals interact and learn from each other to find optimal solutions.

Another example is Cuckoo Search, a bio-inspired metaheuristic algorithm proposed by X.-S. Yang, based on the nesting behavior of birds, where solutions are obtained through iterative processes. This algorithm has multiple applications, one of which is industrial energy management systems, minimizing cost and consumption.

Optimization through different means, software and project methodologies, emerges from the pursuit of architecture with less environmental impact and greater social relevance. Biomimetics may serve as a pathway to such optimization, by applying nature’s principles and understanding the patterns that form its structures.

Knot Pavilion

If we analyze the structure of bones in the human body, we can observe certain rules and geometric patterns that can be translated and reproduced in architecture.

The tibia bone, for example, has a spiral and compact formation that provides strength and rigidity under compression. But how can this be translated into architecture?

By looking at unusual materials, we may find an answer. Each year, more than 640,000 tons of nautical ropes are discarded in landfills and oceans, since they must be replaced every five years. This creates not only an ecological problem but also an opportunity for recycling and reuse in architecture.

Polyester ropes are the most common and accessible, and they also have structural qualities of durability.

On their own, loose ropes have no structural capacity and cannot bear compressive loads. Ropes are designed to work under tension, yet when braided or twisted, they acquire new characteristics.

Based on the sectional structure of the tibia, “rope bricks” can be produced using simple spiral submodules. When placed under compression, these modules become rigid and capable of bearing loads.

The modules are easily produced and fixed with 100% recyclable and reusable material, creating zero-waste, low-cost construction. They can then be stacked to form arches that support the pavilion’s roof.

Resin Pavilion

Beyond drawing inspiration from nature for architectural forms and innovative solutions, we can also use nature’s resources directly, which are widely available to designers.

Natural resin has been used for years in decorative elements and cosmetic products, as it lacks structural properties. However, new technological advances have created opportunities to modify natural resources for structural purposes.

When natural resin undergoes environmentally safe chemical processes, such as the addition of melanin and elastin, it gains restructuring and physical resistance characteristics.

The resin is extracted, chemically processed for structural reinforcement, and then 3D-printed into smaller modules—like puzzle pieces—in a controlled environment by a custom rail-mounted machine inside a steel-frame gantry. The pieces are shipped in containers to the construction site and welded together using a heat-based tool.

The assembly site is optimized for efficient storage and welding, supported by a crane operated by a single person.

The fabrication room is pressurized and temperature-controlled to ensure the ideal spraying process. Each resin has its own container and is mixed at the nozzle before being applied.

The pavilion, textured by the spraying process, incorporates specific resins designed to be sensitive to body heat, molding themselves to the user’s body within the pavilion. When unoccupied, the material returns to its original form.

The use of natural resin creates a sensory space that engages users through strategically chosen scents, varied textures and material densities that adapt to the body, and an incredible light spectrum that plays with opacity and transparency.

The Resin Pavilion is not just an architectural experience, it is a space for contemplating constructive technique and the potential of organic materials.

These examples demonstrate that using nature as inspiration, or as a medium for innovation, leads to unexpected results with unique qualities, whether through structural resistance or aesthetic and spatial character. By appropriating the principles that guide nature, we can create solutions that do not clash with the environment but instead complement it.

(The above projects are conceptual, based on research conducted at Cornell University by Victor B. Ortiz, Pablo Zarama, and Hammad Ahsan.)

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