BIOMIMICRY

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BIOMIMICRY Nature as Model, Measure, and Mentor
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Webinar Agenda

• Introduction to Biomimicry
• The Scientific Approach to Biomimicry
• Applying Biomimicry
• Emerging Topics in Biomimicry
• Biomimicry Resources
• Examples of Biomimicry (video link)
• Questions and Comments

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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 Bullet Train in Japan
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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. The Land Institute in Kansas

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The Biomimicry Guilds Functional Taxonomy

What functions do you want your design to
perform? How does life perform that function?
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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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Define Operating Parameters
Climate conditions Nutrient
conditions Social conditions Temporal
conditions
How does nature perform this function HERE? In
this ecosystem?
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Integrate Life's Principles into the Design
Brief

Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge
the rightness of our innovation and
approaches.
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Lifes Principles

• Life Creates Conditions Conducive to Life
• Optimize rather than maximizing
• Using multi-functional design
• Fitting form to function
• Leveraging interdependence
• Fostering cooperative relationships
• Recycling all materials
• Self-organizing
• Benign manufacturing
• Life friendly materials
• Water-based chemistry
• Self-assembly

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Lifes Principles

• Life Adapts and Evolves
• Locally attuned and responsive
• Resourceful and opportunistic
• Shape rather than material
• Simple, common building blocks
• Cellular and nested
• Free energy
• Integrates cyclic process
• Cross pollination and mutation
• Feedback loops
• Antenna, signal and response
• Learns and imitates
• Resilient
• Decentralized and distributed
• Diverse
• Redundant

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Find The Best Natural Models
Go for a walk outside Consider both literal
metaphorical models Comb the literature Brainstorm
with Biologists
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www.asknature.org

• Imagine 3.8 billion years of design brilliance
  available for free, at the moment of creation, to
  any sustainability innovator in the world.
   Imagine nature's most elegant ideas organized
  by design and engineering function, so you can
  enter "filter salt from water" and see how
  mangroves, penguins, and shorebirds desalinate
  without fossil fuels.Now imagine you can meet
  the people who have studied these organisms, and
  together you can create the next great
  bio-inspired solution.That's the idea behind
  AskNature, the online inspiration source for the
  biomimicry community.

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Identify Deep Patterns 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?
• Ask the question - Does the design create
  conditions conducive to life?

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Evaluate your findings
Evaluate your findings

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

• Giving Thanks
• The Biomimicry Institute works with companies to
  donate a percentage of sales or savings of
  products and processes that were inspired by
  Nature to conservation efforts that help protect
  and restore the home habitats of these inspiring
  organisms.

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Emerging Topics - Whats New?
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Biomimicry is a 21st Century Design Process

• The vision is to create products
• processes,
• organizations policies,
• new ways of living
• that are well adapted to life on earth over the
  long haul.

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Georgia TechCenter for Biologically Inspired
Design http//www.cbid.gatech.edu/
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Georgia TechCenter for Biologically Inspired
Design
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Biologist in the Board Room

• Use knowledge of biological systems and
  processes to create valuable assets in
  organizations with a commitment to
  sustainability.
• This ethos can be extended
  outside organizations to
  supply chain, customers,
  communities, and the
  natural world.

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Interfaces values are our guiding principles.
Ray Anderson, CEO
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Achieving Mission Zero

• Interfaces dedication to sustainability has
  evolved into the companys Mission Zero
  commitment, our promise to eliminate any
  negative impact Interface has on the environment
  by 2020.

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Custom Innovation Habitat

• A habitat is seeded with
• Samples from commercially available lab
  prototypes and bio-inspired products and
  materials.
• Biomimicry methodologies, systems exploration and
  intervention and Lifes Principles.
• Expedition pack for field exploration.
• Training guide for biomimicry brainstorming.

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Interface Carpets Custom Innovation Habitat
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KOHLER
Vessels Leaf
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Amoeba thru Zebra

• Comparative analysis of natures strategies and
  US patent database reveled a 12 overlap in
  design solutions.
• Amoeba thru zebra research reveals much of the
  remaining 88 novel solutions to a company's
  specific design challenge.

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Nike

• Clothing that wicked moisture away from the skin
  during the summer Olympics

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Ecological Performance Standards

• Site designers take inspirational cues from
  nature to set aspirational metrics for
  large-scale projects.
• Goals for ecological performance match the
  local ecology can be set by understanding the
  ecological performance of the native ecosystem.

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Design evolution
all LPs
more LPs
few LPs
regenerative provides ecosystem services
sustainable net zero (minimum)
LEEDS
green better than average
conventional status quo
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Genius of Place

• A survey of the native ecosystem generates a
  list of functional adaptations of the
  characteristic species in the native habitat.

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Human Artifacts Tell a Story
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Genius of Place

• For site-specific design challenges of the
  built environment, Genius of Place identifies the
  functional best practices - locally attuned
  strategies adopted by
  local organisms specific
  to your design
  challenge.

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Development site in Colorado
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Incorporating Biomimicry into Policy

• The climate problem will NOT be solved
  through technological innovation.
• The LEVER is policy that allows for the
  implementation of existing technology.
• Auden Schendler, Aspen Ski Company

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The Course Challenge (thesis)

• Develop a methodology to evaluate existing
  sustainability plans to determine how and where
  to incorporate Lifes Principles.
• Recommendation how to implement policy that will
  incorporate Lifes Principles for
• Cuyahoga County (County Commissioners)
• Biofuels Industry (EPA, ORD)
• EU Environmental Programs (Sweden)

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Thinking About the Whole System

• The bureaucracy and
  political influence
  within
  government agencies
  can be an impediment
  
  that prevents dedicated
  scientists and engineers
  from
  going deeper.
• Biomimicry allows
  employees
  the creativity
  to find restorative
  solutions
  to environmental problems.

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Biomimicry encourages biologists and engineers to
collaborate, using nature as model and
measure. Life manufactures, does chemistry,
builds structures, designs systems, and engineers
to within a fine tolerance.
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BIOMIMICRY allows us to ask What is connected?
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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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Resources

• Biomimicry by Janine M.
  Benyus
• Biomimicry Institute www.biomimicryinstitute.org
  
• Biomimicry Guild
• www.biomimicryguild.com
• Ask Nature
• www.asknature.org
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• U.S.EPA Region 8
• Marie B. Zanowick
• Pollution Prevention Toxics Unit
• 1595 Wynkoop Street
• Denver, CO 80202
• Mail code 8P-P3T
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail zanowick.marie_at_epa.gov
•   

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To hear more about Biomimicry applications -
check out this video
http//www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_
in_action.html