Presentation by Erin Leitch of the Biomimicry Group. For Design Nerd Jam 5.5: Biomimicry + Living Buildings, April 28, 2011 @the HiVE.

1. biomimicry
innovation inspired by nature

2. the conscious emulation
of nature’s genius

3. 3.85 billion years
of experience
x
30-100 million
species
=
Well-adapted
design

4. we are nature

5. how will we bridge
the gap?

6. biomimics at work

7. form process ecosystem

9. quiet our cleverness

10. “Humans will be truly sustainable …

11. …when our cities are functionally indistinguishable from our forests.”
-Janine Benyus

12. Vancouver BC Local Champion:
Bull-head kelp, Macrocystis neriocystis
(edible kelp, bull kelp, bullwhip kelp, ribbon kelp, giant kelp, bladder wrack)

13. Vancouver BC Local Champion:
Bull-head kelp, Macrocystis neriocystis
(edible kelp, bull kelp, bullwhip kelp, ribbon kelp, giant kelp, bladder wrack)

14. Living Building Challenge SITE
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Feedback loops in the horizontal and
vertical planes

15. Living Building Challenge WATER
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Engage environment to manage
water flows and create habitat
• Multi-functional surfaces – water,
nutrients, energy production

16. Living Building Challenge ENERGY
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Resilience through decentralized on-
site energy production
• Fit form to function

17. Living Building Challenge HEALTH
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Create conditions conducive to life
• Beyond surviving - thriving

18. Living Building Challenge MATERIALS
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Simple, common building blocks
• Break down into benign constituents
– waste = nutrients and habitat

19. Living Building Challenge EQUITY
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Life on Earth is interconnected and
interdependent
• Rights to nature – rights OF nature
• Incorporate diversity
• Build from the bottom up

20. Living Building Challenge BEAUTY
Biomimicry Design Principle:
• Beauty as a ‘well-adapted design’ indicator
• Evolve to thrive– replicate strategies that work
• Earth is subject to limits and bounds

21. “Each
species is a
masterpiece…”
E.O. Wilson

22. ENERGY HEALTH
WATER
• Resilience MATERIALS • Create
• Engage
through • Simple, conditions
environment
decentralization common conducive to
to manage
• Fit form to building life
water flows
function blocks • Maintain
and create
habitat • Break down integrity
EQUITY into benign through self
• Multi-
• Life on Earth is constituents renewal
functional
interconnected
surfaces – SITE BEAUTY
and
water, • Feedback
interdependent • Well-adapted
nutrients, loops in the
• Incorporate design
energy horizontal
diversity indicator
production and vertical
• Build from the • Limits and
bottom up planes boundaries