Biomimicry is a way of incorporating nature’s mechanism into modern technology. As Janine Benyus, a famous science author once said ‘ We often forget how human is not the first species to build homes for themselves or to organize their own space.’ The process of biomimicry includes going back to the basic, studying how different species has evolved with the same world we live in today without the help of man made technology. Michael Pawlyn, an architect who is fascinated in the subject once mentioned in a TED lecture, ‘Nature has spent thousands of years doing research and development in order to achieve the result today and so it would make sense for us to use that resources to our design.’ I strongly agree with this phrase because if nature can create such powerful design without such all the man made resources, which harms the environment in many ways, then certainly the world’s most intelligent species can as well.

Fortunately I have had the chance to explore biomimicry in relation to the field of architectural design. After researching on different species we found a plant called bromeliad. The plant has leaves that have a hydrophobic layer on the top half of the leaves and hydrophilic cells at the bottom. The hydrophilic layer at the bottom of the plants helps conserve water and the direct it in the middle creating a miniature pond providing a habitat for other species. In relation to water and the plant, a group of 4 including myself has identified the problem of flash flooding in the UK. This is mostly because of the increase in man made pavement increasing the water runoff percentage causing water to flow and accumulate on pavements, which not only gets polluted but also causes flash floods. We then choose a site located in Portabella Road called Portobello Court, a council housing area. The aim of the design was to use the concept of the hydrophilic cells of the plant and create a layer that reduces the surface water runoff by intercepting rainwater and storing it for watering plants creating a new eco system and habitat for other animals and insects with the help of analyising the wind, sun and route of the local residents.

 

I believe that with biomimcry design, we as designers can help reduce the harm we are causing to the planet earth, reducing the use of fossil or nuclear power as well as preventing other means of pollution. By imitating nature, I believe that biomimicry architecture can also create a new ecology to the urban society improving the sustainability physically as well as implicating the impact and the importance of being stainable.