Study of biomimicry applications on architecture

• Grant number: 08/04081-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2008
• End date: June 30, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Construction Industry
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Gomes da Silva
• Grantee: Felipe Lopes de Paula
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Differently of the harmonious relation many creatures developed with the environment they live in, mankind chose a life style that has as the main objective to accumulate capital. This model has gradually become unsustainable, as the population growth rate is far superior than natural resources availability or renewability rate. However, analysis of diverse ecosystems scattered worldwide demonstrated that organisms, to reach this apparent stability, had to solve similar difficulties that humanity faces today. To the process of taking advantage of these solutions was given the name biomimicry. When searching for inspiration in natural processes, it is expected to move towards efficient results with a lower consumption of energy and materials. These are also sustainable architecture goals, to be pursued not only by the current generation but also for the next to come. It is believed that biomimicry can be a useful tool to help development of projects that cause the lowest possible impact in their insertion context, without sacrifice of the necessary qualities expected for an adequate built environment. This research aims at analyzing existing applications of biomimicry and identifying methods and strategies based on this concept applied to relevant architecture works. (AU)