BIO-WHAT? Biomimicry Basics

In this blog post I will be discussing the Whats, Whys and Hows of Biomimicry. After watching some video interviews of Janine Benyus, as well as one of her TED talks, reading the first chapter of her book (Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature) as well as a Biomimicry primer she wrote, I will be synthesising some of the concepts presented and communicating them here. This post will be an effort to compellingly and succinctly introduce biomimicry.

What is biomimicry?

• To quote Janine Benyus at its most basic Biomimicry is "learning an idea from an organism and applying it".
• The idea behind biomimicry is that nature has already solved a lot of the problems that currently plaque us: energy sources and production, food production, shelter, micro and macro climate control, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, etc. So why not tap into what nature has already discovered and tested over 3.8 billion years of natural selection?
• In the biomimicry primer Janine Benyus introduces the idea that there are three levels of biomimicry: The first is to imitate natural forms, this does not necessarily result in green solutions. The second is to be inspired by natural processes, how nature makes things, this adds a level of authenticity to the first level.The third is to imitate the systems of Natural Ecosystems, this should result in a closed loop economy. The three together result in a really honest application of natures ideas.

A picture I saw this morning on design boom, helmet inspired by
an armadillo from:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat
/8/view/13767/modern-bicycle-helmets.html

Why biomimicry now?

• In the first chapter of her book Janine Benyus speculates "My guess is that Homo Industrialis, having reached the limits of natures tolerance, is seeing his shadow on the wall". As we see the cumulative effects of our existence take hold of the planet and these effects increasingly manifest in ways that negatively effect our and our planets mates abilities to flourish we are starting to look for alternatives. How can we change our relationship with the planet (our home).
• Species are disappearing rapidly. Possibly as many as 25% of species on the earth will be extinct in the next few decades. This will represent the loss of a huge wealth of information and design opportunities.
  
• A rapid acceleration of the volume of knowledge in the biological sciences gives us an unprecedented access to nature's success full designs.

What are nature's common principles?

• Janine Benyus talks about the necessity for every natural organism to meet their needs while ensuring that they preserve or improve the place their offspring will successfully reproduce in. She says "life creates conditions conducive to like".
• All organisms face the same struggles for: food, water, space and shelter. All organisms(with the possible exception of HUMANS) accomplish this while: running on sunlight, using only essential energy, fitting form to function, recycling everything, rewarding cooperation, banking on diversity, demanding local expertise, curbing excess(self limiting) and using limits as opportunities.

What does nature as mentor, measure and model mean?

• In the Biomimicry Primer by Janine Benyus this question is answered by posing 3 questions. Biomimicry is exploring problems and solutions by asking these questions:
• "What would nature do here?" Nature as Model
• "What wouldn't nature do?" Nature as Measure
• Why would or wouldn't nature do this? Nature as Mentor
• The idea is to move from a human centric perspective to one where we see our selves as a part of nature.

How will biomimicry influence the field of sustainable design?

• Biomimicry is integrative it offers solutions in context. The context that the earth is our home and just like our personal residences we have to take care of it.
• We are as a species have struggled, since the development of agriculture to break free of ecological laws. In order to be sustainable we must(just like all of our planet mates) operate within these rules. Biomimicry offers a way to reconnect with these laws.

What can designers learn from the natural world?

• The most basic thing we can learn from nature is integration. In nature everything fits in, a part of a massive system that is tested and proven(over a few billion years) to work. Our current path is an experiment with a new way and preliminary results suggest strongly that it is not working!
• The areas where nature has the most to offer us is where our approach is the opposite to nature's. For example our economies focus on maximising through put, nature focuses on cycles, very little input very little out put. Nature selects for integrative systems.

Picture from: http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National

-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2009/Mimicking-Mother-Nature.aspx

What can industry learn from the natural world?

• If you want to be around for a long time you need to mimic a mature ecosystem. Industry needs to become a massive interconnected network.
• In a mature ecosystem there is no "waste". Manufacturing needs to be designed such that waste becomes a resource. Eco-parks are a move in this direction.
  
• Nature manufactures with sunlight in conditions friendly to life. Industry, if it wants to stay here, must learn to produce in this way.

Picture from:http://www.taiganova.com/site/networking.asp

What can designers learn from biologists?

• Earlier we talked about nature facing the same problems we do. Nature is a massive collection of successful solutions to these problems.
• Biologists study these solutions and their combined knowledge of them doubles every 5 years. As designers we have the opportunity to tap into this huge resource by, as Janine Benyus says, "having biologists at the design table".
• Nature has brilliantly "made a world that works". Biologists study this world. As designers we make our world, it is ignorant to do this with our looking at how nature has accomplished so much. Biologist offer a portal to this knowledge.
  

What has changed in the last decade since Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature was written?

• The amount of biomimetic research has increased.
• There has been a movement from research to implementation of biomimicry.
• The sources of funding have moved from being primarily public(military and transportation/energy departments) to increasing private R&D. From the Biomimicry Primer.

What is asknature.org?

• Asknature is an open online source of natural solutions. A place where people can go to find out how nature solves problems.
• It also has a networking aspect where you can connect with fellow biomimics.

Biomimicry is a method of utilizing the rich collection of design solutions that are represented in the natural world. Through the it's application biomimicry also encourages us to again become a part of the natural world. To be a productive cog in the system of nature that has worked so well for so long.
Do I see biomimicry as a tool to help us move toward environmentally and socially sustainable design? Yes! But much more than that. I love to be out side and am constantly amazed by the accomplishments visible in nature. I think that biomimicry offers us a chance to inspire and amaze through design in a way that will result in consumers demanding these designs and in using these designs people will celebrate being part of nature.

Thanks for following along.