Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Biomimicry in architecture'

Biomimicry is an applied science that derives inspiration for solutions to human problems through the study of natural designs, systems and processes. This thesis represents an investigation into biomimicry and includes the development of a design method based on biomimetic principles that is applied to the design of curved building surfaces whose derived integral structure lends itself to ease of manufacture and construction.

Three design concepts are produced that utilize a selection of natural principles of design outlined in the initial biomimetic investigation. The first design visualizes the human genome as a template on which the process of architectural design and construction can be paralleled. This approach utilizes an organizational structure for design instructions, the adherence to an economy of means, and a holistic linking of all aspects of a design characteristic of the genetic parallel. The advancement of the first design concept is illustrated through the use of a particular form of parametric design software known as GenerativeComponents. The second design concept applies the biomimetic design approach outlined in concept one to the development of ruled surfaces with an integral structure in the form of developable flat sheets. The final concept documents the creation of arbitrary curved surfaces consisting of an integral reinforcing structure in the form of folded sheet chevrons.

Architecture has been primarily ocularcentric for the last century. This thesis proposes a more sensible approach to architecture. A multisensory experience that gives the user a deeper response to the building. Architecture can activate and engage multiple senses through the revelation of nature such as: wind, light, and shadow. Architecture has the power to reveal the essence of nature and natural phenomena. It can also become a catalyst to help us understand nature and attain a deeper connection with it and ourselves. Through derived forms and attention to details, architects can capture the essence of nature without direct imitation. Architecture has always had the power to reveal. The architect must choose what is revealed. This thesis is an exploration into the idea of architecture as a revelation of nature in a specific climate, location, and context to allow the user to become more attuned to nature. Architecture can allow the users to explore and discover nature in a way that was previously ignored or overlooked, or perhaps it can reveal a phenomenon for the first time. Architecture can reveal nature through: orientation, material choices, form, function, openings, details, and spacing. Allowing natural phenomena to be a part of the design process creates a building attuned to nature. These revelations can occur with careful consideration to components, conditions, and details such as: wind, light, shadow, and structure. In order to achieve these, special consideration must be give to the tectonic and stereotomic construction.
Master of Architecture

Many plant species, including Barrel Cacti, have developed long-term evolutionary adaptable traits to survive in extreme climates. The most important trait of cacti in extreme hot dry climates is to reduce water evaporation and increase water storage. The exterior skin of a cactus plays an important role in preventing water evaporation through heat transmission. On the other hand, there have been many passive design strategies applied to the space planning and building design of architecture in hot dry climates. The goal of these passive design strategies is to regulate the penetration of heat into building spaces while creating a strong ventilation system to help bring cool air inside the building. In this paper, adaptations of the Barrel Cactus' exterior skin, along with architectural passive design strategies for hot dry climates (in this caseYazd, Iran) will be discussed and integrated with one another through the concept of Biomimicry. The goal is to design an exterior building skin that is attuned to the environmental conditions of a hot dry climate, based on the successful applicable behaviors demonstrated in the Barrel Cactus. Key architectural features such as natural ventilation and daylight will be informed by the evolutionary cacti adaptations and passive architectural strategies in the design of the building skin in order to increase the possibility of consistent comfort for users of an office building.

In this diploma thesis, I have tried to design a high-rise building in Brno and offer new opportunities for built-up areas in a manner that respects the future of urban development. I have applied the principles of nature patterns on the very structure of the building and thus I have reached the perfection of nature, which in my view offers an elegant, simple and already proven solution.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2009.
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Emergent morphogenetic designs provide a superior architectural response to programmatic, technical, structural, environmental and spatial requirements that conventional unit based architectural forms are too inflexible to fully address. Architecture has reached an exciting stage in its development, where structures are attempting to behave more like nature, which does not function as a static state, but as a complex grouping of symbiotic processes which are constantly evolving to adapt to environmental changes. Digital fabrication and materials engineering have promoted an explosion in formal architectural typologies. By utilizing these digital tools and enhanced materials to embrace a morphogenetic design strategy, architecture can respond rapidly, through multiple permutations to respond to multiple performance criteria. This approach outlines a design process that generates a typology and through multiple reiterations, changes as the design reacts to new performance criteria being added, or the model not adequately meeting the criteria being tested. The terms used to encompass this new design strategy are emergence, evolutionary optimization or morphogenetic design. This strategy utilizes tools in parallel that have been developed independently by different disciplines, including theoretical mathematics, materials engineering, bio-mimicry, environmental studies and digital technologies. The site is a parcel located on Tampa Bay at the outlet of the Hillsborough River, where the existing unit based Tampa Convention Center will be replaced with the new performance based Convention Center. The research methods will be simulation and modeling research. This method will start with a performance based program, and submit the models to multiple permutations. Each performance criteria will be applied to develop an iterative process that re-informs the shape, design, structure and materials, and can be evaluated at the conclusion of the design process, testing the accuracy of the Thesis.

This thesis is based on two observations. First, that conventional buildings cause two major losses that involve non-human nature – the loss of native biodiversity and the loss of non-human nature experience for the buildings’ human inhabitants – and that these losses both contribute to a perceived separation between humans and the rest of nature. Second, that there appears to be a growing interest in connecting buildings with nature but there is little agreement on what it actually means to ‘design with nature’. As such, the purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to describe the meaning of ‘designing with nature’ in current architectural practice and provide a working definition of nature-based design, and (2) to explore how this can be interpreted to encourage human connectedness with non-human nature, while addressing the two major losses mentioned above. It is thus an attempt to reframe the role of building as one that provides for all inhabitants of a site, both human and non. A framework was developed that captures and summarizes the dominant ways in which design draws on nature. The framework emphasizes the importance of using ecosystems not only as models, but foremost as context. The core concepts of the framework can thus be discussed from the perspective of buildings that act like an ecosystem and that interact with their ecosystem, and are described as: ecological sense of place, regenerative ability, ecosystem health, mutually beneficial relationships, context, appropriate management, functions, ecosystem principles, values, patterns, conditions, and adaptations. Although the concepts presented in the framework are themselves not new, the way in which they are organized does contribute a new perspective on the field of nature-based design. In addition to providing a graphic model that summarizes the essence of an evolving field, the research highlights the role of scale and place in linking building design, native biodiversity, nature experience and connectedness with nature. It thus acts as a backdrop on which to bring a discussion of ecological citizenship into the architectural dialogue.

Les besoins actuels en produits de fertilisation et notamment pour le traitement des carences chez le végétal sont en constante augmentation. Cependant, de plus en plus soucieuse de l’environnement, les industries productrices de ces compléments alimentaires souhaitent proposées des solutions de traitements plus durables tant au niveau de leur production que de leur devenir une fois épandue dans la parcelle. Par ailleurs, il a été établi que les cellules végétales peuvent être considérées comme de vraies usines à molécules. Les hydroxyacides en C3 fabriqués par la machinerie cellulaire présentent par exemple de nombreuses propriétés de chélation et de transport. La présence de fonction hydroxyles et carboxyliques leur confèrent en effet la capacité de pouvoir enserrer des métaux et de permettre leur déplacement entre tous les compartiments des cellules, mais aussi entre les différents organes de la plante. Par ailleurs, la présence de ces mêmes molécules au sein des réactions biologiques (respiration, photosynthèse) font d’elles des métabolites assimilables et donc potentiellement dégradables. Les travaux de cette thèse ont donc eu pour objectif de mettre en place une catalyse chimio-enzymatique afin de produire les molécules les plus semblables aux hydroxyacides en C3 végétaux. Dans cette démarche de biomimétisme, nous avons mis au point un protocole de fabrication d’hydroxyacides à partir de glycérol et de carbonate de glycérol dans des conditions similaires au milieu vivant : dans l’eau, à des températures faibles et à pression atmosphérique. Nous avons ainsi réussi à synthétiser des hydroxyacides tel que l’acide glycérique, le 2-oxo1,3-dioxolan-4-carboxylique et l’hémiacétal du carbonate de glycérol. Les travaux de thèse ont également permis de mettre au point une méthode analytique complète pour la visualisation et la quantification de la majorité des hydroxyacides en C3 élaborés selon ce protocole opératoire. Cette méthode regroupe des techniques de caractérisations globales telles que l’Infra-rouge, l’HPLC, l’HPIC, et des analyses plus fines comme la LCMS de haute résolution et la RMN 1D et 2D. Nous avons par ailleurs optimisé la synthèse des hydroxyacides en C3 à partir du glycérol et du carbonate de glycérol grâce à la mise en place d’un plan d’expérience. Les molécules fabriquées présenteraient des propriétés de complexants susceptibles d’être utilisés en agronomie dans le but de remplacer les chélatants actuels issues de réactions plus polluantes de la pétrochimie et générant des substances nocives pour la santé des sols agricoles une fois appliqués
The current need for fertilization products, and particulary for the treatment of plant deficiencies, is constantly increasing. However, more and more environmentally concerned, industries producing these food complements aim at finding more sustainable treatment solutions both in preparing these substances and in controlling their degradation once on crops. Moreover, it is established that plant cells can be considered as true molecular factories. For example, the C3 hydroxy acids produced by the cellular machinery have many chelating and transport properties. The presence of hydroxyl and carboxylic functions give them the ability to enclose the metals and to allow their displacement through all the compartments of the cells and also through the different organs of the plant. Moreover, as they are involved in biological reactions (respiration, photosynthesis), these molecules can potentially be used in cellular metabolism or degraded. The work presented herein has been designed with the aim of producing the most similar hydroxy C 3 –acids’s plant molecules by establishing a chemo-enzymatic catalysis. Inspired by biological and chemical natural processes, we have developed a protocol for manufacturing hydroxy acids from glycerol and glycerol carbonate under natural conditions ie in water, at low temperature and at atmospheric pressure. We have also produced hydroxy acids such as glyceric acid, 2-oxo1,3-dioxolan-4-carboxylic acid and glycerol carbonate hemiacetal. The thesis also allowed us to develop a complete analytical method for the observation and the quantification of the majority of C3 hydroxy acids, produced according to our operating protocol. This method combines global characterization techniques such as HPLC, HPIC and more complex analyses such as HR-LCMS and 1D and 2D NMR. We have also optimized the synthesis of C3 hydroxyacids from glycerol and glycerol carbonate through the implementation of an experimental design. Our bioinspired molecules are potential complexing agents that could be used in agronomy, in order to replace the current chelating molecules obtained from petrochemistry, known for having harmful impact on agricultural soils

Le développement de la navigation autonome est devenu l'un des enjeux technologiques majeurs du 21ème siècle. Aucune solution fiable ne saurait faire l'économie du GPS ni même des caméras, très répandues en robotique. Cette thèse vise à mettre en place une nouvelle stratégie de navigation parcimonieuse inspirée des fourmis du désert Cataglyphis afin de localiser un robot terrestre mobile hexapode. S'inspirant de l’œil composé des fourmis, un compas céleste minimaliste doté de deux photodiodes sensibles au rayonnement UV et surmontées de filtres linéaires polarisants, permet d'acquérir l'angle de polarisation de la lumière du ciel, lequel sert de cap en navigation terrestre. Le compas céleste a démontré d'excellentes performances, résilientes à l’égard des conditions météorologiques. Les tâches de navigation ont été réalisées par le robot hexapode AntBot, équipé du compas céleste et d'un capteur de flux optique constitué de 12 pixels auto-adaptatifs dont la réponse mime celle des cellules photoréceptrices des tortues. AntBot dispose d'un intégrateur de chemin inspiré des fourmis Cataglyphis. Ce système fusionne le cap donné par le compas céleste, la distance mesurée par le flux optique, et le nombre de pas pour déterminer la position du robot par rapport à son point de départ. Il en a résulté une erreur de navigation moyenne stable d'environ 6cm, indépendante de la forme ou de la distance des trajectoires accomplies (variant de 5 à 15m). Ces résultats montrent que cette stratégie de navigation peut être envisagée en parallèle d'un GPS, pour un coût calculatoire faible, afin de bénéficier d'un système de localisation précis, robuste et efficace
Autonomous navigation is one of the leading technological challenges of the 21st century and is currently solved using GPS and camera-based strategies. This PhD thesis aims at setting up new navigation strategies inspired by desert ants Cataglyphis, requiring few resources and tested on board a hexapod walking robot. Taking inspiration from the ants' compound eye, a novel celestial compass - composed of just two ultraviolet-sensitive photodiodes topped with rotating linear polarizers - provides measurements of the angle of polarization of the skylight with high angular precision. This angle is used as the vehicle's heading while navigating. This compass provided excellent performances regardless of the meteorological condition. Navigation tasks were performed with our hexapod robot AntBot equipped with both the celestial compass and an optic flow sensor, which includes 12 auto-adaptive pixels mimicking photoreceptors in turtles. AntBot has a path integrator navigation system inspired by behavioral studies in desert ants Cataglyphis. This strategy uses the heading given by the celestial compass, the distance measured with the optic flow sensor, and the stride integrator to determine the vehicle's position with respect to its departure location. Experiments resulted in a navigation error of approximately 6cm regardless of the shape and the length of the trajectory (varying from 5m to 15m). These results show that such navigation system can be used to complement classical techniques like GPS and vision-based ones, with a high level of robustness and efficiency, and with few computational resources needed

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Despite the fact that biomimicry has been widely used in the fields of design and engineering, its application methods in architectural design are not yet clear, especially in the architectural design education. The transfer of a concept or mechanism of a living organism for non-living systems is not a trivial task and requires knowledge between two domains, the biological and the design. The BioTRIZ, a systematic method and especially developed based on biological phenomena, does not require deep understanding about natural organisms. This study aimed at verifying the adequability of BioTRIZ method in the application of biomimetic concepts in atelier design teaching in the early periods of the architecture program. Exploratory case studies was used through design exercises in models atelier classes with the 3rd semester students of the Architecture and Urban Planning Program of the Federal University of Paraiba. The work proceedings were divided into eight steps: variables definition, pilot studies, teams training, data collection in design exercises with application of BioTRIZ method, questionnaires, focus groups sessions, data analysis and results discussion. It was concluded that BioTRIZ method was not entirely suitable for design education in models atelier, due to the limited design repertoire of students, the difficulties in avoiding fixation on predefined ideas and limitations in the ability to transform specific features in abstract ones and vice versa, all those being requirements for effective use of BioTRIZ method.
Apesar de a biomimética ser bastante utilizada nos campos do design e da engenharia, os seus métodos de aplicação no projeto arquitetônico ainda não são claros, sobretudo no ensino de projeto. A transferência de um conceito ou mecanismo de um organismo vivo para sistemas não vivos não é uma tarefa trivial e requer conhecimento entre dois domínios, o biológico e o de design. O BioTRIZ, método sistemático e especialmente desenvolvido com base em fenômenos biológicos, dispensa conhecimento profundo sobre organismos naturais. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal verificar a adequabilidade do método BioTRIZ na aplicação de conceitos biomiméticos no ensino de projeto em ateliês nos períodos iniciais do curso de Arquitetura. Utilizou-se de estudos de caso de caráter exploratório por meio de exercícios de projeto em ateliê de plástica com turmas do 3º período do curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo da Universidade Federal da Paraíba. O trabalho foi dividido em oito etapas: definição das variáveis, estudos piloto, treinamento das equipes, coleta de dados em exercícios de projeto com aplicação do método BioTRIZ, aplicação de questionário, execução de grupos focais, análise de dados e discussão dos resultados. Concluiu-se que o método BioTRIZ não se mostrou totalmente adequado ao ensino de projeto em ateliês de plástica, devido ao limitado repertório projetual dos alunos, às dificuldades em evitar fixação em ideias predefinidas e às limitações na capacidade de transformar características específicas em abstratas e vice-versa, requisitos necessários para o eficaz emprego do método.

Biomimicry comes from bios, life, and mimesis, to imitate. Biomimicry is becoming an increasingly well-known topic in the field of architecture, imitating nature’s designs and processes to solve human problems. This project uses the oak tree as a model, measure, and mentor to derive sustainable architecture. Biomimicry is examined as a holistic methodology with six steps: identify, interpret, discover, abstract, emulate, and evaluate. Using this methodology, this project investigates oak tree’s closed-loop systems including water, oxygen, and food. The synergies that exist within these systems are emulated to develop a complex green infrastructure of building and landscape systems. This project provides an illustrated process using the biomimicry methodology to generate sustainable architecture.

abstract: Biomimicry is an approach that entails understanding the natural system and designs and mimicking them to create new non-biological systems that can solve human problems. From bio-based material development to biologically inspired designs, architects and designers excelled in highlighting the fascination of integrating the biomimetic thinking process into the modern design that provides more comfortable space in which to live. This thesis explores how historical sustainable strategies from Islamic traditional architecture incorporated natural design system that could now be appropriately applied to interior architecture. In addition, it explores the current existing problems in this field and the possibilities of biomimetic sustainable solutions for existing buildings in the hot dry climate regions of Saudi Arabia. The author concentrates on examining Islamic traditional architecture where the past architects incorporated certain aspects of nature in their construction and through using local resources, built buildings that mitigated heat and provided protection from cold. As a result of completing this research, it was found that there are common characteristics between the traditional Islamic architecture elements and system solutions found in some natural organisms. Characteristics included, for example, evaporative cooling, stuck effect, and avoiding heat gain. However, in the natural world, there is always opportunities to further explore more about the impacts of biomimicry and natural strategies applicable to enhance interior environments of buildings.
Dissertation/Thesis
Masters Thesis Design 2016

Num contexto onde é necessário compatibilizar as preocupações relativas ao impacte ambiental com a eficácia funcional da arquitetura, visto que o ambiente construído foi reconhecido como um dos principais contribuintes para a perda de biodiversidade, o biomimetismo tem dado boas respostas para esse conjunto de problemáticas. Neste sentido, o tema desta investigação é o biomimetismo aplicado à arquitetura, nomeadamente aplicado a fachadas, que possam ser não só sustentáveis, mas também regenerativas em relação ao ambiente em que se inserem. É investigada uma hipótese que visa contribuir para a solução desse desafio: através de princípios de biomimetismo conseguir juntar arquitetura, responder aos requisitos funcionais e reduzir o impacte ambiental, no contexto da construção de uma escola sustentável, de uma residência para estudantes, um centro transdisciplinar socioeconómico e um centro de empreendedorismo, para um lote localizado na Cidade Universitária, em Lisboa. Como resultado desta investigação é desenvolvida uma estrutura de fachada biomimética alimentada por microalgas que propõe regenerar o ambiente envolvente assim fazer parte integrante de uma experiência arquitetónica sensorial, enquanto responde a requisitos funcionais do programa.
In a context where it is necessary to reconcile the concerns related to the environmental impact with the functional efficiency of architecture, since the built environment was recognized as one of the main contributors to the loss of biodiversity, biomimicry has given good answers to this set of problems. In this sense, the theme of this investigation is biomimicry designed for architecture, specifically applied to facades, which can be not only sustainable, but also regenerative in relation to the environment in which they operate. A hypothesis that aims to contribute to the solution of this challenge is investigated: through the principles of biomimicry being able to combine architecture, meet the necessary requirements and reduce the environmental impact, in the context of building a sustainable school, a residence for students, a socioeconomic transdisciplinary center and an entrepreneurship center, for a lot located in Cidade Universitária, in Lisbon. As a result of this investigation, a biomimetic façade structure powered by microalgae is developed, which proposes to regenerate the surrounding environment as well as being an integral part of a sensorial architectural experience, while responding to the program's requirements.

Dissertação de mestrado em Sustainable Built Environment
Sustainability is attracting additional importance in daily life through of all the propaganda surrounding global warning issue and how the quality of life on earth is the wickedest that have ever been. The impact of construction and architectural industry contributes in that matter, where solving and arguing that issue is more significant for the building professionals more than ever specially because perhaps time is running out and facing that problem nowadays will result greatly on the future life on earth. In this context, it is possible to say that it is extremely necessary to combine innovative materials and techniques so that alternative solutions can be created in order to make a further step in solving or reducing the negative effect on the planet. This research project intends to study the new technologies and techniques manifested in sustainability where it will tackle the Biomimicry concept and it relation with sustainable questions through the possibility to learn from the environs in order to find a solution. In order to apply the project as a solution to a real situation, this dissertation proposes to design an architectural structure, inspired by the spider’s nets approach, for an exterior space in the centre of the Azurém Campus in the University of Minho, where this space is the hub of pedestrian movements for the university. The architectural structure composed of a grid of bending-active elements, characterizes the decoy for a new and diversified attraction space to the campus. In addition, it is intended to show that the new technologies and materials can be the transitional link between new aspects of the field which interpret a new constructive panorama surrounding the sustainable world.
A questão da sustentabilidade tem assumido uma importância adicional na vida diária da humanidade, através de toda a propaganda em torno do alerta global para a ecologia. O impacto da indústria da construção civil e arquitetônica não foge à regra e contribui em muito para este assunto, dado que os projectos de hoje podem decidir, no futuro, muito da sustentabilidade da vida humana na Terra. Neste contexto, é extremamente necessário combinar materiais e técnicas inovadoras para que possam ser criadas soluções alternativas, a fim de se dar mais um passo em frente na resolução ou redução do efeito negativo no nosso planeta. Este projeto de pesquisa pretende, assim, estudar as novas tecnologias e técnicas de sustentabilidade, abordando o conceito de Biomimética e relacionando questões sustentáveis através da possibilidade de aprender com outras áreas para encontrar uma solução. Para aplicar o projeto como uma solução para uma situação real, esta dissertação propõe a concepção de uma estrutura arquitetônica, inspirado pela abordagem das redes de aranhas, para um espaço exterior no centro do Campus de Azurém, na Universidade do Minho, onde este espaço é o centro de movimentos pedestres para a universidade. A estrutura arquitetônica composta por uma grade de elementos flexíveis, caracteriza o chamariz para um espaço de atração novo e diversificado para o campus. Além disso, pretende mostrar que as novas tecnologias e materiais podem ser o vínculo de transição entre novos aspectos do campo, que interpretam um novo panorama construtivo em torno de um mundo mais sustentável.