Growth is good when in accordance with nature’s own time-tested blueprint.

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By Nancy B. Solomon, AIA

Biomimicry represents yet another take on nature’s role. The word, made popular by life science writer Janine Benyus of Helena, Montana, in her 1997 book of that name, describes the process of imitating nature to solve human quandaries. Benyus and biologist Dayna Baumeister run an organization called Biomimicry, which offers workshops on the subject.

The study of natural systems, say biomimicry proponents, will trigger innovations in building design and building-product development that are resource efficient, environmentally benign, and aesthetically satisfying. The now classic building example is Eastgate [architectural record, July 2001, pages 142–44), a mixed-use, mid-rise complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, designed by Zimbabwean architect Mick Pearce of Pearce Partnership. Built in the mid-1990s, the building parti was inspired by the well-ventilated African termite mounds, which maintain a constant internal temperature of 87 degrees Fahrenheit despite extreme temperature fluctuations outside.

 

Herman Miller Front Door Holland, Mich. In the spring of 2000, Herman Miller’s corporate leaders and their support team moved into the Front Door (below left). The interior offers generous amounts of daylight in keeping with the principles of biophilia. This new office addition and the original Design Yard (top), built in 1988, were designed by the Minneapolis-based architecture firm Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle. The lobby (below right) features a playful wall fountain opposite entry doors. Photos © Roger Hill

There are product examples, as well. Two were introduced by German companies in 1999: Lotusan, exterior silicone paint by Ispo, and Lotus Effect roof tiles by Erlus. They both exhibit self-cleaning properties based on the so-called “lotus effect.” This phenomenon, discovered by biologist Wilhelm Barthlott of Bonn University, in Germany, refers to the process by which the lotus leaf maintains its purity despite its muddy environs. Simply put, the surface microstructure of the lotus leaf is so bumpy that there is not enough contact area for dirt particles or water droplets to adhere. Instead, the water beads up and rolls off the leaf, taking the miniscule particles along with it. The manufacturers duplicated this bumpy surface on their products to avoid the common problem of surface streaking. The lotus effect is counterintuitive to our traditional notions of cleaning—typically, manufacturers have tried to keep surfaces as smooth as possible to avoid crevices that trap dirt.

Cradle to Cradle

The title of McDonough and Braungart’s new book can be seen as an important corollary to biomimicry. Following nature’s thrifty model—where nothing is ever wasted—they propose developing products that can be fully recycled as either biological or technical nutrients. The former biodegrade fully, safely, and naturally into the environment. The latter return to industry as raw materials for future products.

Most products today are what McDonough and Braungart call “monstrous hybrids,” in that they combine biological and technical elements in such a way that these materials cannot be recycled into either loop. These now useless resources pile up at the landfill. In addition, most products that claim to be “recyclable” are actually “downcyclable” to a lower-quality product. Eventually, the quality becomes so poor that this material cannot be reused for anything.

The architect and the chemist teamed up in 1995 to form McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry. They have worked with various companies worldwide to create products according to their closed-loop model. For example, in 1995 McDonough and Braungart collaborated with Swiss mill Rohner Textil and textile distributor DesignTex to create Climatex Lifecycle, a compostable fabric for furniture. Climatex Lifeguard, a biological nutrient fabric that meets the most stringent flame-retardant tests worldwide, was introduced in 2001.

Making the connections

The sustainable movement has always stressed the importance of holistic, integrated design. “We are ecologically interdependent with the whole natural environment,” wrote Susan Maxman, FAIA, president of the American Institute of Architects, and Olufemi Majekodunmi, president of the International Union of Architects, in the “Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future”—the culminating statement from the 1993 UIA/AIA World Congress of Architects in Chicago.

Certainly the environmental challenges we face are still great. Yet, thanks to a handful of professionals who have steadfastly thought beyond the proverbial architectural box, we not only have a better grasp of the problems, but also a glimmer of potential solutions. If architecture is indeed part of the great web of life, it may be high time that all architects snare a biologist to help unravel nature’s complex building codes.

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