NATURAL AND CONSTRUCTED
Long before architecture was a specific study about designing homes, the humans existing during the medieval age were inspired by the natural elements present around them. These forms of nature would deeply influence the infrastructure of the homes of those times, even if they were not professionally built. This is an instance which shows the presence of Biomimicry even when people were unaware about it. Architecture inspired by nature is being practised since before the ideology was stated.
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​The natural elements found on the earth seem to be in a miraculous form. It is a well-established fact that nature has inspired humans for the creation of various objects. Be it a creative project or a plan for something technical, the nature of the earth influences it in some way or the other. Humans used the principles of nature in their work right from the beginning of their development, such a step was at times conscious as well as subconscious. On closer observation, one will notice that nature inspired architecture in the ancient times, but nobody paid heed to it. But around in the middle of the 20th century, the theory of architecture inspired by nature attained a name. Biomimicry is the theory which inspires the infrastructural architecture.
What is biomimicry?
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Most all designers will benefit from studying certain aspects of nature. As buildings now face a whole myriad of problems that need solutions, it may be in nature that architects can find some answers. Here is what Brett Hoverstott who wrote “What Can Architecture Learn from Nature” has to say…
“Life has had millions of years to finely-tune mechanisms and structures (such as photosynthesis, or spider’s silk) that work better than current technologies, require less energy and produce no life-unfriendly waste. The emulation of this technology is the goal of biomimicry, the art of innovation inspired by nature.”
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Already, there exist certain biomimetic buildings. Take for instance, the Eastgate Centre which is a shopping centre and office block. This building was “designed to be ventilated and cooled by entirely natural means, it was probably the first building in the world to use natural cooling to this level of sophistication”. The design inspiration for this architecture was the “indigenous Zimbabwean masonry and the self-cooling mounds of African termites”.
Futuristic Home
With the profile of a shell and an aerial view of some ultra-modern space craft, the futuristic Shell House located in the forest of Karuizawa, Japan, this one-of-a-kind design boasts the cross-section of a seashell, with its double-elliptical shapes and curves. Supported by concrete and wood, the home surrounding decks are as artful as this modern house design itself. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views into the contemporary cave-like interior featuring soft, sandy textures and an organic structure that flows continually from ceiling to wall to floor. Circular skylights throughout this modern home enhance its architectural interest while flooding the dark corners with bright, natural light.
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Nature can teach us about systems, materials, processes, structures and aesthetics (just to name a few). By delving more deeply into how nature solves problems that we experience today, we can extract timely solutions and find new directions for our built environments.
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We can benefit from biomimicry to make buildings better by pushing for more natural, integrated, efficient and healthy solutions. We also need to take a look at the role aesthetics plays in nature – with the way function and form so synergistically merge. Perhaps this is a way for buildings to harmonize with nature in renewed ways – making built environments more environmentally sound and healthy for occupants.