Design for Humans and Nature

The ways architects to combat the climate crisis:

1. Convince clients of the value of biodegradable materials

2. Advocate for the use of locally sourced materials

3. Transition from concrete frames to structural timber

4. Reuse building materials

5. Move construction off-site

6. Understand the environmental implications of a project’s life cycle

7. Become more efficient with digital technology

8. Design for humans and nature

What do you understand about Design for Humans and Nature? Can this help?

Biomimicry is the emulation of nature’s models, systems, processes, and elements; we imitate nature to improve human designs and create tangible solutions to even the world’s most pressing problems. We seek its advice and look towards nature’s creations to guide us through the design process rather than relying solely on our own expertise.

Example:

Japan’s bullet trains are fast but they were also notorious for the noise created when exiting the tunnels. This noise disruption was an issue because it disquieted high-density neighbourhoods which were known to conglomerate around the bullet trains.

Eiji Nakatsu was a bird watcher. The Kingfisher, a bird with a beak that allows it to gracefully dive into water with little to no splash was the inspiration for the nose of the train.

Other redesigned features of the train were also modeled with the use of Biomimicry such as the pantograph. The pantograph’s ( a framework rig that connects the train to overhead wires ) design was derived from the feathers of owls to aid in reducing noise.

The end result of borrowing concepts from nature:

Train speeds increased by 10%, consumed 15% less energy, and the issue with the noise was resolved.