Both ecologically sustainable design and biomimicry have many applications (practice, education, business, design software, bio-digital design theory, and design process) in a wide range of disciplines such as medicine, engineering, marketing, and commerce, among others.
Although incidental reference is made to related areas such as design education, bio-digital
Introduction
Exploring a Biomimicry Approach to Enhance Ecological Sustainability in Architecture 0‐12 design and ecological theories, the focus of this study is limited to the field of building construction and the search for a Biomimicry Approach that is applicable in eco practices related to architecture.
One significant limitation was identified during the exploratory stage of the study. There is a substantial gulf between the disciplinary knowledge of biomimicry (which focuses on the natural world) and architecture (which is concerned with man-made objects). Biomimicry is a process that relates to natural evolution, while architecture creates a built environment. This restricts the amount of cross domain knowledge available to both biologists and architects. In fact, this has been identified as one of the major limitations on the applicability of biomimicry to architecture (Wilson, 2008, p. 7).
It has been suggested that biomimetic methods are more applicable in mechanical engineering than in architecture. This is because the scale of manufacturing and its capacity for mass production make research investment in biomimetic strategies more attractive. It is difficult to reproduce building design in the same way, since projects vary in relation to clients, users, context, scale and complexity. While this particular limitation has been identified as a major drawback in applicability of biomimicry in architectural practice, its existence provided the impetus for the present investigation.
The overlap between ecologically sustainable design and biomimicry was both a limitation and an advantage in the present study. Although many ecological design processes have been developed or are under investigation, the potential for a systematic design thinking process and an approach based on the concepts of biomimicry to ecologically sustainable design in architecture has rarely been explored.
In this study, reference material pertaining especially to the applicability of biomimicry, in architectural practice have been referred mostly via web sites, since most literature on building projects have been less published in books or refereed papers.
Introduction
Exploring a Biomimicry Approach to Enhance Ecological Sustainability in Architecture 0‐13
Summary
This chapter presented an outline of the background, problems, aims, research questions, methodology and the intended contribution to the field (Figure 0.3). It explained the significance of the research problem in the context of the role of architects in the anticipated
‘ecological age’. It has argued that there is a need for a systematic thinking process and an approach based on a deep understanding of ecology, which currently remains elusive in architectural eco design practice. It emphasised the importance of seeing biomimicry as a potential approach to architectural eco design practice. Such an integrated and unified approach has the potential to contribute to the goal of ecological sustainability.
Most researchers indicated that sustainable principles are better understood by taking nature as a logical model of ecosystem functioning. This chapter has introduced the pathway that will be followed to propose a ‘biomimicry thinking’ and a Biomimicry Approach by examining how eco practitioners perceive the effectiveness of biomimicry as a design approach in architectural eco design practice. Thus the present investigation makes an original contribution by giving additional knowledge to both fields (biomimicry and ecologically sustainable design) especially in relation to ecologically informed sustainable design practices in architecture.
Introduction
Exploring a Biomimicry Approach to Enhance Ecological Sustainability in Architecture 0‐14 Background designing for ecological sustainability, ESD and biomimicry
Problem designs of buildings- ecological design challenges for climate change and architects role; optimal strategies to reduce waste by design
Gap of Knowledge
limited understanding of an ecological thinking design process limited understanding on applicability of biomimicry in architecture barriers to ESD
limited knowledge on eco practitioners view of a Biomimicry Approach (BA) in architectural eco design practice
Aims how perceive the effectiveness of biomimicry as a design approach in eco design practice
how a BA fit within the context of architectural eco-design practices Significance contribution to architectural eco design practices
overall contribution to expand knowledge in fields; ESD and biomimicry
Literature Review barriers identified in ESD, biomimicry seen as a potential solution, systematic design thinking process for ESD: introducing BTM and BTF, design propositions as theoretical enhancements
Research Approach exploratory approach-theory applied in practice: how the identified
‘constitutes’ and scale (from literature review) of a BA have been applied in architectural eco design practices
Research Questions
what is a Biomimicry Approach in architectural eco design practice?
Q1-How effective are the ‘constituents’ of a BA in architectural eco design practice
Q2- How effective are the ‘scales’ of a BA identified in the literature review in eco design practice?
Q3- What are the ‘components’ of BA that contribute most effectively in eco design practice?
Q4- What are the best ‘predictors’ of BA to enhance ecological sustainability in architecture?
Research System Inquiry post-positivist epistemological frameworkand deductive /inductive reasoning
Research Method correlational and project based approach: mixed methods Research Techniques practice survey-online questionnaire (close and open ended)
validated by interviews: project based & documentary evidence Data Analysis quantitative analysis –multivariate statistical analysis (MSA): EFA
and SMR (SPSS) and qualitative analysis-qualitative content analysis (QCA):WF,TS,MC (NVivo 9.2)
Data Validation overall trustworthiness and triangulation validation –multiple techniques
Research Outcome
a Biomimicry Approach (BA) for architectural eco design practice by perceiving views of eco practitioners: architects and non-architects of its constructive ways used to enhance ecological sustainability in architecture
Figure 0.3: Overall research overview (author)
Exploring a Biomimicry Approach to Enhance Ecological Sustainability in Architecture 1‐1