Over the past two years we have researched how biomimicry, at organism and ecosystem levels, can inform building science and the urban landscape. This presentation summarizes key findings that we see emerging of increased complexity, especially around nutrient and information exchange.

1. OCAD U Research
Sponsored by Autodesk
Bruce Hinds, Carl
Hastrich, Ian Clarke

2. Thanks to all our open
minded students willing
to play!

4. After a while, the whole concept of a “national grid” for electricity
will seem to be as outdated as the concept of phones with wires...
Any buildings with air conditioning will generate at least some
of its own power from solar tiles on the roof, and gradually grid
operators in most places will begin to announce 10-year phase-
out plans, advising their customers of the last likely date reliable
grid electricity will be available. By then, most people will be
generating most of their own energy anyway, and the fading out...
will be an inevitability. Your kids will see this.
Vinay Gupta - printed in The Alpine Review; Scenarios

5. Occupants are generally treated
as passive participants within
an environment controlled by a
centralized automation system.
Attar, from Cole, Brown 2009
Image credit: Michael Lokner

6. User
Building
Context
An Investigation of Relationships

7. Natural Models for Inspiration
Image credit: USFW PacificImage credit: Carl Hastrich Image credit: v4vjk
Individual Colony Community
Increase in complexity

8. Image credit: Carl Hastrich
Image credit: BaldBoris Image credit: Manitoba Asssociation of Architects
Barrel Cactus - Current Goal of Sustainable Architecture
Isolated and independant,
reliant entirely on physiological
strategies for survival.
Swiss Re - London Manitoba Hydo Place - Manitoba

9. Fantastic pioneer species of
future cities. But to regenerate
our cities, buildings must
connect and contribute.

10. Image credit: v4vjk
Image credit: IDEO
Termite Colony - Active Participation
Image credit: Herman Miller
The structure functions like
lungs, acting as an extension of
the organism’s physiology, an
extended phenotype.
Furniture layout is designed
to facilitate organizational
behaviour.

11. The next step is for the
participation to extend to
physiological systems.

12. Image credit: USFW Pacific
Coral Reef - Community through Nutrient Flow
While nutrient poor, the
community is so diverse it is
able to use energy efficiently
which then supports the increase
of diversity. It is an example of
circular cause and effect.

13. Efficiency and regeneration
will occur through networking
resource flow.

14. Impact on Energy Efficiency in Ecology
energy used
by organisms
Increase in complexity

15. Patch Dynamics: Diversity increases Efficiency

16. Evolution of Buildings in a Regenerative City
Old Paradigm
Buildings as
Consumers
Buildings drawing (perceived)
abundant enegy
Current Paradigm
Buildings as
Conservators
Independant buildings drawing
minimal resources
Emerging Paradigm
Buildings as
Contributors
Inter-dependant & connected
buildings exchanging resources
Single
direction
of flow,
resources
abundant.
Single
direction
of flow,
resources
conserved.
Multi-
directional
flow,
resources
generated.
Increase in complexity

17. Our Research Overview - Building Science Review
Building Centric
Efficiency is the quantitative measure
of achieving human needs - identified
through predetermined standards.
Technologically driven according to pre-
defined standardized metrics (i.e. Ashrae)
with a goal of static, consistent performance.
Building:
Pre-determined function.
Occupant Centric
Comfort is the qualitative human
perception of their environment.
A deeper understanding of user
satisfaction, health and engagement
is evolving building performance.
Research suggests desire for personalized,
individualized performance. Therefore
metrics for building performance
are tailored and are informed
according to input from the user.
Individual:
Adaptive / Interactive
services.
Eco-Centric
Distribution of resources within a
system via diverse relationships.
Dependant on deep understanding
of occupant centric building
performance and the value of an
ecological/systems framework.
Research suggests an evolving,
interconnected framework. Emphasis
on context and time, specifically the
relationships between information.
Community:
Exchange of Resources
in a network.
Current trajectory of research
Future trajectory of research

18. OCAD U Research
Sponsored by Autodesk
Thank you,
Carl Hastrich - carl@hastrichdesign.com
Bruce Hinds - bhinds@ocadu.ca
Ian Clarke - iclarke@ocadu.ca