Sustainability through passive energy biomimetics systems in Architecture. Comparative analysis of case studies.

Abstract

Nowadays, people face two serious problems: the energy problem and the depletion of natural resources. Current solutions for managing environmental change have caused a great deal of waste of energy on heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting of our buildings. In the current paper, we propose an innovative multidisciplinary design system to combine biology, engineering, and basic principles of architecture for the construction of the building envelope that regulates environmental aspects. The study is based on adaptation strategies from biological systems and the contribution of “smart” materials and technologies toward the energy optimization of modern and future constructions, through the imitation of biological functions. Four bio-inspiration case studies are presented along with their architectural application, finishing with a comparative analysis to assess how well this methodology can be used in both present and future architecture and design. This research’s objective is to show how we can create a systematic transfer of knowledge between biology and technology. It aims to learn from biological principles and to apply this understanding to the development of bio-inspired structures, to understand the importance and impact that the use of bio-inspiration in architecture can have on the energy discussion.