BIOMIMICRY

Nature as Model, Measure, and Mentor

BI-O-MIM-IC-RY

(From the Greek bios, life, and mimesis, imitation)

Nature as model. Biomimicry is a new science that

studies Natures models and then imitates or

takes inspiration from these designs and
processes to solve human problems.
Nature as measure. Biomimicry uses an ecological
standard to judge rightness of our innovations.
Nature as mentor. Biomimicry is a new way of
viewing and valuing Nature.

Energy Efficiency: Learning from

Nature how to create flow without
friction.

PAX Fans and Impellers

Design: How does Nature

attach and detach?
Gecko tape

Toxics: Learning from plants how to

clean without cleaners:
The Lotus Effect

Architecture: Learning from termites how to create sustainable buildings:

Passive Climate Control in the Eastport Building, Harare Zimbabwe

Transportation: How does

Nature travel quickly and
smoothly?
The Shinkansen Bullet
Train in Japan

Medicine: Learning from Chimpanzees how to heal

ourselves

Human Safety:
Learning from Dolphins how to warn people about Tsunamis

Climate Change:
Learning from human lungs how to sequester carbon

Agriculture: Learning from prairies how to grow food

sustainably

The Biomimicry Guilds

Functional Taxonomy
Function is the pivot between lifes wisdom and what
we
are trying to achieve intentionally.

What function do you want your design to perform?

How does life perform that function?

The Biomimicry Guild has produced an organized
collection of functions that covers everything that life
does and that we might want a design to do.
The functions are grouped by similarity so its called a
taxonomy (an
organized system of naming) of functions.

Identify the Real Challenge

Dont ask what do you want to design? (an air conditioner)
Ask what do you want your design to do? (make people feel
cooler)
Ask why? multiple times: (Challenge: Air conditioners use lots of
energy because they use heat to dry desiccants that dehumidify air
and then they must cool the heated air.)
Why use desiccants? (To dry the air)
Why do the units dry air? (Because high humidity makes air feel
warmer)
Why are they using heat? (To drive the moisture out of the desiccant
so it can be reused)

So, you want a design to pull moisture

out of air and cool the air!

Develop a Design Brief for the Needed

Function
Biologize the Question:
Identify functions (i.e. purpose, role, or use)
How does Nature do that function?
How does Nature not do that function?

Reframe questions with additional keywords.

Develop a Design Brief for the Needed

Function
Define Operating Parameters;
Climate conditions: (wet, dry, cold, hot,
low/high pressure, highly variable, high/low
UV,etc.)
Nutrient conditions: (nutrient poor =no $,
nutrient rich = lots of available materials)
Social conditions: (competitive, cooperative)
Temporal conditions: (dynamic, static,
growing, ageing)
After defining operating parameters, ask:
How does Nature do that function HERE?
In these conditions?

Integrate Life's Principles

into the Design Brief

Optimize rather than maximize

Locally attuned and responsive
Build in resilience
Leverage interdependence
Integrate cyclic processes
Use benign manufacturing

Find The Best Natural Models

Go for a walk outside
Consider both literal and metaphorical
models
Comb the literature
Brainstorm with Biologists

Identify Deep Patterns and

Principles
Look across discovered strategies
Look at the strategies collectively
Specific to your desired function, what does each
strategy have in common?
How are they different?

Deepen the Conversation

Are you mimicking form?
Can you mimic process?
Can you mimic the ecosystem?
Does the design
create conditions conducive to life?

Evaluate your findings

Can it adapt and evolve?

Thank your teacher

(Nature) for the inspiration

Nature as Mentor
* Incredibly competent universe
* Natures living examples
* Can live abundantly
and enhance where you live
* Much older mentors have
figured it out
* We can do the same thing
JANINE BENYUS