Nature and Architecture
The relationship between nature and architecture is an old one and has been around throughout the human history. Architecture is developed with and made possible through the resources taken from the natural environment. The way nature works has also inspired architecture. In relation to this, I came across a talk by Michael Pawlyn: Using Nature's Genius in Architecture. The full video can be watched on TED website or below.
Michael Pawlyn's talk is about how architecture (and design in general) still have a lot of things to learn from nature. He stressed out this by showing two remarkable examples of how nature works: the strength of spider web and the ability of a beetle to detect a forest fire at 80 kilometers away (10,000 times the range of a man-made fire detector). These two examples show that biomimicry can deliver an extraordinary performance in the most efficient way. The fiber created by the spider is the stronger than any man-made fiber. The toughest man-made fiber is an aramid fiber made in extremely high temperature and pressure, thus releasing a lot of pollution as a result. Yet, the spider can create more powerful fiber in an ambient temperature and pressure with dead flies and water as the ingredients.
By learning how to do things the nature does through biomimicry, we can accomplish the highest performance possible with the most efficient use of energy and materials. This means that the pollution can be reduced to its lowest point and this also means a sustainability revolution to our society. Michael Pawlyn believed that biomimicry has the answer to three main sustainability objectives: resource efficiency, the circular closed-loop model of consumption and production, and shifting from fossil fuel economy to solar economy.
Pawlyn followed up with a few examples of his effort in implementing biomimicry as an architect. The first example is the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. This architectural work exhibits an exceptional example of resource efficiency in a design. The hexagon and pentagon shapes used in this project provide the most efficient structural configuration. Selection of material is also another key feature. Instead of using glass, the greenhouse is using a light material called Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). The weight of ETFE is 100 times lighter than a standard double-glazing material. It means that the load is reduced by the factor of 100. The use of ETFE also allows the largest possible area of the hexagons. Unlike glass that comes in limited size and shape, the ETFE can be made in larger uni (7 times larger unit area compared to glass). With very light pillows of ETFE, the green house only needs a very small amount of steel structure. Less steel means more efficient foundation and maximised sunlight penetration and better thermal storage. The design is an outstanding example of resource efficiency.
The Eden Project (edenproject.com)
The second example presented is a closed-loop system called Cardboard to Caviar Project by Graham Wiles. The project is to collect cardboard waste from the restaurants and then shred them. The shredded cardboard waste is then sold to the equestrian as horse bedding. When it's no longer viable as horse bedding due to soil and horse feces, it's collected and placed into a composting system to produce worms. The worms are then collected to feed Siberian Sturgeon that produced Caviar which is sold back to the restaurants. Specifically in the cities, another example of closed loop system Pawlyn introduced was The Mobius Project. It's an attempt to create a circular system that works within a building by treating waste from one activity as nutrients for other activities.
The Mobius Project (thefifthestate.com)
The Sahara Forest Project was the last example introduced by Pawlyn in his talk. It highlighted the urgency of the transition from fossil energy to solar energy while at the same time, restoration of the desert into a forest. The strategy is to utilize technology in using deserts, saltwater and CO2 to produce energy, food, and freshwater.
The Sahara Forest Project (atlasofthefuture.org)
What biomimicry proposes is that nature has provided a complete "catalog of products" as a result of the longest Resarch and Development Period of 3.8 billion years since the first life was formed on earth. Therefore, the performance of these products is unquestionably remarkable. Our job is to find out how these products work and to adapt the way they work into the design of our products, buildings and cities.
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