Biomimetic Design vs Biophilic Design: What makes them unique?
- PV Digital
- Apr 15
- 8 min read
The foundation of all creation has been nature. Only in recent years, though, has a wider audience realized its significant global significance. This knowledgeable awareness could be linked to a number of factors, including a globalized economy, the rapid advancement of technology, particularly in the last ten or so years, and the availability of resources for the general population. Their comprehension of the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) sector has improved significantly as a result of this.
The severe consequences of careless construction and nature's revenge against it, particularly after the global pandemic outbreak, have compelled building designers and construction experts everywhere to reconsider their methods.
Additionally, the general public's growing awareness of its significance and long-term impacts has also fueled this increased attention. Many, confined to their homes with nowhere to go, took comfort in the limited access they had to green areas and open spaces.
The knowledge of emotional well-being followed; the psychology of a location as a lasting impact on the behavior and mental health of its occupants. As a result, the terms biophilia and biomimetics rose to prominence in the public consciousness.
Let's take a closer look at what biophilic and biomimetic design concepts are, how they differ, and how they are resurfacing as crucial components of well-designed buildings.
Biophilic and Biomimetic: Terminology origins
Eric Fromm, a German psychologist, originally used the term "biophilia" in 1964 to describe people's propensity to interact with other living things. In his 1984 book "Biophilia," American biologist Edward O. Wilson later popularized it. For long, human beings sought design inspiration in nature, rewarding them with innovative breakthroughs.
However, scientist Janine Benyus created a global interest among AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) professionals as well as biologists and theorists with her 1997 book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.
While biophilia highlights the value of nature from a philosophical and physiological perspective, biomimetics merely mimics nature's processes to find design solutions for our constructed world.
Although the AEC industry has long been familiar with these ideas, architects and designers are now seeing that more and more clients are responding favorably to their projects that include sustainable design principles and nature.
What is Biophilic Design?
The main goal of biophilic design is to incorporate elements of nature into spaces that improve human productivity and well-being. Both organic and place-based components are a part of biophilic design.
Biophilic designs use inspiration from nature to link a structure or landscape to the local culture and ecology. These elements include natural shapes, forms, patterns, and processes, as well as environmental elements like color, air, water, and more.
In recent years, facts and evidence have begun to support Winston Churchill's well-known statement, "We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us."
In addition to coming back to haunt these "creations," the AEC industry's recent practice of "creating shelters" without considering their long-term effects has presented new and serious issues for the next generation.
Among the harsh realities facing our current and future generations are migration, the climate crisis, land contamination, and the loss of land for development.
On a more personal level, we may observe that our culture is beset by serious psychological issues including sadness, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, to mention a few. AEC practitioners have found solace in the fact that there is a renewed interest in biophilic architecture as a result of the demand for and respect for nature's healing powers.
Key Features of Biophilic Design
Designs must be consistently engaged with their natural environments. The function of nature as a source of joy and healing is not fulfilled by an approach where the experience is isolated or sporadic.
In the past, nature has quietly helped to create a productive environment for people, meeting their bodily, emotional, and mental requirements. As civilization evolved over time, biophilic designs adjusted to human habits and desires.
The whole intervention in a design or environment is included in biophilic designs. The entire benefit of feeling close to nature cannot be obtained by introducing vertical farming on green terraces or part of a façade. More consideration and purpose should be incorporated into the designs created by architects and designers.
People who live in and around a space should be inspired by the creation of a permeability between developed and green regions. Once architects and designers are able to encourage that collaboration, an emotional sense of belonging is supposed to emerge.
In addition to promoting a healthy individual, a good biophilic design also cultivates a practical community that strives to improve both their natural surroundings and their way of thinking.
Inspiring Examples of Biophilic Architecture
1. Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore by Moshe Safdie.
The Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore, one of the most successful and comprehensive projects—a groundbreaking urban design, urban planning, architectural, engineering, and structural designs—was created by famous biophilic architect Moshe Safdie.
In contrast to the boring linear design of a connecting corridor, the architects aimed to create an airport experience that was both uplifting and unique. The world's highest indoor waterfall, an oculus that pours water from the Jewel's peak, was built almost as a mixed-use area.
According to Safdie himself, "Jewel weaves together an experience of nature and the marketplace, dramatically asserting the idea of the airport as an uplifting and vibrant urban centre, engaging travellers, visitors, and residents, and echoing Singapore’s reputation as ‘The City in the Garden’."
2. Falling Water House, Pennsylvania, USA, by Frank Lloyd Wright
In his works, Frank Lloyd Wright, the father of architecture, personified the idea of "organic architecture." By combining architecture, people, and nature, he aimed to create harmony in the constructed environment.
The home he created for his client, Mr. Edgar Kaufmann, and his family is among the most well-known examples he used to support his views.
The Bear Run Nature Reserve in Pennsylvania is the project's picturesque location.
At the heart of his architectural concept was a natural stream that flowed 1298 feet above sea level before abruptly breaking to plunge 30 feet below. He was able to naturally incorporate nature into the building's design rather than erecting a structure across the stream as his customer had suggested.
What is Biomimetic Design?
Biomimicry, or biomimetic design, is the imitation of nature and its ideas in specific ways. It operates on the straightforward premise that nature has the answer to any problem that people encounter. Designing from nature's strategies is known as biomimicry.
Three key components are included in biomimicry: emulation, ethical framework, and (re)connection. Biomimicry, also known as biomimetic design, includes everything from the deliberate learning of natural shapes and processes to the ongoing application of this learning to the development of more regenerative solutions.
The fundamental idea behind biomimetic design is to produce advanced technology and human designs by imitating the elements and forms of nature. "Nature has already solved all the challenges we face," Benyus said. The key to survival is what surrounds us, and failures have become fossils.
In order to create a sustainable habitat, humans have long devoured knowledge of how the natural environment around them functions. Early inspiration can be found in the thoughts and creations of Filippo Brunelleschi, the founder of Renaissance architecture, and Leonardo da Vinci, the polymath of the High Renaissance.
Brunelleschi reportedly received a commission to construct the Florence Cathedral's dome after he mastered the art of placing an egg upright on a table, but da Vinci was certain that one could study bird flight and deduce mathematics that enable human flight.
Key Features of Biomimetic Design
It makes nature the ultimate inventor of all that may be created in its surroundings. This implies that it can also be seen as an educator and that God is present in the specifics of our environment, mechanisms, and systems.
A design's morality can also be assessed by nature, which is the ultimate arbiter. The evolutionary philosophy of nature removes species that do not contribute to its diversity from its system because we are a shared planet with finite resources. This explains why our planet's climate is changing and its resources are deteriorating; the widespread building methods used in recent decades have accelerated nature's revenge in various ways.
Additionally, nature serves as a mentor, guiding AEC professionals and others to change or improve harmful habits. One can determine which design and construction procedures are chosen and rejected by looking at the patterns in our environment.
By using nature's design processes and tactics, the idea also enables us to rediscover balance and re-establish a connection with our surroundings.
Pioneering Examples of Biophilic Architecture
1. World Trade Center Transportation Hub, New York by Santiago Calatrava
Calatrava claims that the idea for the building, which is next to the original location of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, was sparked by a picture of a bird being let go from a child's grasp.
The roof's arched shape, which mimics the shape of a bird's wings and incorporates skylights to naturally illuminate the interiors, makes it stand out as a sculpture in the bustling metropolis of New York.
2. Lotus Temple, New Delhi by Fariborz Sahba
The Lotus Temple in Delhi is one of the most visited sites in the capital city and one of the eight sacred Bahá'í Houses of Worship worldwide. The lotus, a flower revered by the majority of Indians, serves as the model for the shape.
Clarity, simplicity, renewal, and purity are all reflected in the design. One of the most remarkable instances of biomimicry architecture is the flower, whose shape is also replicated across the environment.
Difference between biomimetic and biophilic design
Nature serves as the inspiration for both biomimetic and biophilic designs, which are components of sustainable design. They differ from one another, nevertheless, in their unique uses and traits.
Although they share a common philosophy, biomimetic and biophilic design are distinct ideas. Let's examine some of their main distinctions.
Difference | Biomimetic Design | Biophilic Design |
Core characteristic | Biomimetic design is basically a “mimicry” or emulation of nature (life’s engineering). | Biophilic designs portray humans’ connection with nature. |
Aim | Biomimicry creates high-performance sustainable designs by mimicking the natural processes, models and systems. | Biophilic design indirectly invoke nature through intentional design choices in the built environment |
Application | Biometric design is used in technology and product development circles. | Biophilic design applies directly to architecture, interior design and urban design. |
Inspiration from nature | Biomimicry recognises the innovation potential of life’s tested-and-true “technologies | Biophilia recognises the health benefits of mankind’s biological connectedness with nature |
Usage | Biomimicry and other forms of bioinspired innovation can be used to tackle challenges at many scales and across industries | Biophilic elements have been shown to reduce stress, improve cognitive performance and support positive emotions and mood. |
In Conclusion
Although they have different goals, biomimetic and biophilic design both take inspiration from nature. In order to develop new technologies and materials that address human issues, biomimetic design aims to mimic the shapes, functions, and processes of nature.
By integrating natural systems, patterns, and features into constructed environments, biophilic design, on the other hand, aims to improve human well-being and the relationship between humans and nature.
Although each strategy has advantages and disadvantages, they both present viable answers to the urgent social and environmental problems of our day. Designers can produce more resilient, sustainable, and meaningful designs that benefit both people and the environment by taking inspiration from and honoring nature.
Stay tuned with PrimaVerse as we share current insights and trends in the engineering industry, including the latest in generative design. Have a project in mind? Contact us today and let’s build a better world together!
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