BIOMIMICRY

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BIOMIMICRY Nature as Model, Measure, and Mentor
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BI-O-MIM-IC-RY(From the Greek bios, life, and
mimesis, imitation)

• Nature as model. Biomimicry is a new science
  that studies Natures models and then imitates or
  takes inspiration from these designs and
  processes to solve human problems.
• Nature as measure. Biomimicry uses an ecological
  standard to judge rightness of our innovations.
• Nature as mentor. Biomimicry is a new way of
  viewing and valuing Nature.

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Energy Efficiency Learning from Nature how to
create flow without friction. PAX Fans and
Impellers
Design How does Nature attach and detach?
Gecko tape
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Toxics Learning from plants how to clean
without cleaners The Lotus Effect
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Architecture Learning from termites how to
create sustainable buildings Passive Climate
Control in the Eastport Building, Harare Zimbabwe
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Transportation How does Nature travel quickly
and smoothly? The Shinkansen Bullet Train in
Japan
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• Medicine Learning from Chimpanzees how to heal
  ourselves

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• Human Safety
• Learning from Dolphins how to warn people about
  Tsunamis

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Climate Change Learning from human lungs how
to sequester carbon
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• Agriculture Learning from prairies how to grow
  food sustainably

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The Biomimicry Guilds Functional Taxonomy

• Function is the pivot between lifes wisdom and
  what we
• are trying to achieve intentionally.
• What function do you want your design to
  perform?
• How does life perform that function?
• The Biomimicry Guild has produced an organized
  collection of functions that covers everything
  that life does and that we might want a design to
  do.
• The functions are grouped by similarity so its
  called a
  taxonomy (an organized system of
  naming) of functions.

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Identify the Real Challenge

• Dont ask what do you want to design? (an air
  conditioner)
• Ask what do you want your design to do? (make
  people feel cooler)
• Ask why? multiple times (Challenge Air
  conditioners use lots of energy because they use
  heat to dry desiccants that dehumidify air and
  then they must cool the heated air.)
• Why use desiccants? (To dry the air)
• Why do the units dry air? (Because high humidity
  makes air feel warmer)
• Why are they using heat? (To drive the moisture
  out of the desiccant so it can be reused)
• So, you want a design to pull moisture
• out of air and cool the air!

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Develop a Design Brief for the Needed Function

• Biologize the Question
• Identify functions (i.e. purpose, role, or use)
• How does Nature do that function?
• How does Nature not do that function?
• Reframe questions with additional keywords.

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Develop a Design Brief for the Needed Function

• Define Operating Parameters
• Climate conditions (wet, dry, cold,
  hot, low/high pressure, highly variable, high/low
  UV,etc.)
• Nutrient conditions (nutrient poor no ,
  nutrient rich lots of available
  materials)
• Social conditions (competitive, cooperative)
• Temporal conditions (dynamic, static, growing,
  ageing)
• After defining operating parameters, ask
• How does Nature do that function HERE?
• In these conditions?

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Integrate Life's Principles into the Design
Brief

• Optimize rather than maximize
• Locally attuned and responsive
• Build in resilience
• Leverage interdependence
• Integrate cyclic processes
• Use benign manufacturing

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Find The Best Natural Models

• Go for a walk outside
• Consider both literal and metaphorical
• models
• Comb the literature
• Brainstorm with Biologists

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Identify Deep Patterns and Principles

• Look across discovered strategies
• Look at the strategies collectively
• Specific to your desired function, what does
  each strategy have in common?
• How are they different?

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Deepen the Conversation

• Are you mimicking form?
• Can you mimic process?
• Can you mimic the ecosystem?
• Does the design
• create conditions conducive to life?

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Evaluate your findings

• Can it adapt and evolve?
• Thank your teacher (Nature) for the inspiration

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Nature as Mentor Incredibly competent
universe Natures living examples Can
live abundantly and enhance where you live
Much older mentors have figured it out
We can do the same thing JANINE BENYUS
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?? Questions ??

• How can EPA use Biomimicry to meet our mission?
• Where are the leverage points EPA can use to
  promote Biomimicry as part of a sustainable
  ecosystem approach?