Project Haiti and Biomimicry

Project Haiti Orphanage and Children's Center is about the people of Haiti who are facing ongoing devastation following the earthquake of January 2010. It's about a replicable, RESILIENT model for rebuilding and it's not surprising that the USGBC, HOK and Lend Lease are utilizing the principles of Biomimicry to inspire the design.

http://www.usgbc.org/haiti/haiti.html

Envelope:
Lightweight, porous, self shading, low-emissivity and optimal solar reflecting skin keeps solar radiation from reaching the concrete structural core while still allowing desired ventilation into the inner-core areas. This design principle mimics the low-emissivity of local plant leaves, stems and barks.

From www.asknature.org:
"Barks, through tannin and cellulose, efficiently absorb radiation between 6 and 10 microns. Other bark surfaces have developed a very rough surface that produces a lot of self-shading along-side the illuminated areas. Such a morphology stimulates the convection of air, which then transports heat away from the surface.

"Leaf temperature data support micro-climate buffering and create leaf temperatures that are cooler than ambient temperatures, especially during the hottest part of the day. Leaf size often affects the boundary layer, a thin layer of still air hugging the surface of the leaf."

Structure:  

Lightweight yet robust reinforcement strategies improve the resiliency of the structure. Wood and concrete hybrids mimic the diversity of the natural forest and the strength of the Kapok tree can respond to abiotic disturbances such as the earthquake in 2010.

From www.asknature.org:

"A patchy forest is made up of a variety of species, spacing, ages, heights, densities and stages of succession. Combined with abiotic elements such as soil types, topography and micro-climates, the forest becomes more resilient. Tree root link together to form a heterogenous pattern which becomes more resilient to outside disturbances."

Exciting Exhibits!

Biomimicry inspired art exhibits are popping up all over Chicago - be sure to check them out!

Nature's Toolbox: Biodiversity, Art & Invention

The Field Museum is hosting this art exhibition through December and looks at the importance of biodiversity through creative expression.  Randy Jayne Rosenberg of Art Works for Change was kind enough to give us a tour of this exciting exhibit.  Be sure to check out the video of the web of life as seen from a bug's eye view - it's amazing!

"Harnessing technology and inspired by nature’s amazing design concepts, Nature’s Toolbox features innovative, eye-capturing contemporary art which helps visitors understand and appreciate the life-or-death interdependence between the 10-20 million species on earth – including humans – and the quality of the environment we share.For More Information visit www.artworksforchange.org"

Genius Loci: Listening to Nature's Muse 

This new exhibit focuses on showcasing artwork inspired by the genius of our local ecosystems. I'm excited to check it out when it opens July 8th at the Ryerson Woods.

"The ancient Romans believed that every place on Earth is protected by a guardian spirit or genius loci, literally “spirit of place.” Today, we use this phrase to mean the collective characteristics—cultural, environmental, and psychological—that define a specific locale and distinguish it from all others. Throughout history, some of the most successful works of art and architecture were created by people who captured the genius loci of natural places. Their works appear to fit seamlessly within the environments that inspired them. This legacy of listening to and learning from the genius loci continues today as a new generation of artists and designers responds to Nature."

Biomimicry Summit for Innovation & Financial Tools - Switzerland!

This summer, Amy and Lindsay's BProfessional colleague and dear friend, Jacques Chirazi, is leading the design of a biomimicry summit focused on cleantech innovation and financial tools in his home land of Switzerland.  Check out this link to learn more.  If you are interested in cleantech, innovation and finance/venture fields or just fancy a trip somewhere beautiful this summer, check it out.

Understanding the Living Building Challenge Workshop

While not affiliated with Biomimicry Chicago, this workshop may be of interest to those interested in biomimicry in the built environment.  In fact, the Living Building Challenge was heavily influenced by the thought meme of biomimicry.  Early bird pricing ends 6/4.  I am going.  Join me?  Amy 

Understanding the Living Building Challenge Workshop

Time: Monday, June 18 · 9:00am - 3:30pm

Location:  PepsiCo Sustainability Center  555 W Monroe, Chicago, IL

This workshop is hosted by Jason La Fleur, Regional Director of Alliance for Environmental Sustainability and one of our own LBC Collaborative members.  Attendees are the green building leaders in their community: design professionals, contractors, developers, owners, government officials and employees of public agencies.  In short, anyone and everyone who can impact the development of the built environment.  

For a workshop overview and to register, visit: www.alliancees.org/lbc

Biomimicry and teaching business the 'secrets of life'

Our own Lindsay James of Interface wrote an amazing article for greenbiz.com on the intersection of Biomimicry and business.

"Creating conditions conducive to life could very well be considered life's "purpose," and this secret of life is one that we have forgotten in our industrial system design. We can't currently claim that business creates conditions conducive to all life -- but imagine if we could.

At a systems level, life is more than simply sustainable; it's regenerative. Which brings to bear the question: should we be striving for merely sustainable business, or should we aspire for business to be regenerative?"

Read the rest of the article here.

PhD in Biomimicry!

Lindsay and Amy's fellow BProfessional colleague and friend, Doug Paige, has developed a PhD program in Integrated Bioscience as well as a biomimicry fellowship program through a partnership of the University of Akron and the Cleveland Institute of Art.  Pass the word and apply to this one of a kind program today!  More information here.

The Bees are out...and it's March

Photo credit: World of Warmth via AskNature.org

Bees buzzing your head is a startling occasion at any time, but when they started to buzz Amy's head as she sat outside in March, she started to wonder how our unseasonably early spring will affect our most important pollinators?  And thinking about it, how do bees survive Chicago winters at all?  And is there anything we can learn from them?


Bees are social insects and spend their lives in colonies, or hives.  They live and die in their colonies and do not migrate to warmer climates seasonally, so when the temperatures hit freezing, how do bees keep their nests?  It turns out, they vibrate.  The intentional vibration of their thorax creates heat so that their young can survive the cold.  Intentionally creating heat or harnessing energy from vibration is not something we tend to emulate in the built environment - in fact, it accounts for energy loss and unwanted heat gain.  But perhaps by harnessing vibrational energy as a source of heat, we could save energy on our mechanical systems.


Genetic diversity also plays a role in keeping the hive warm during winter.  When hives are genetically diverse and sired from more than one male, they will have different comfort levels and therefor different temperature response thresholds. When a few individuals with a high threshold feel the hive is cold, they begin to vibrate.  When the temperature continues to drop and others with a lower cold threshold feel the hive is cold, they begin to vibrate at that lower temperature, and so on.  The colder it gets in the hive, the more bees will vibrate to maintain 32 - 36 degree Fahrenheit in the winter.  The opposite is true for cooling the hive in summer when bees use their wings as fans to expel hot air. This distributed response mechanism dampens temperature spikes and keeps the hive at a livable temperature.  From this, we can be inspired to set building thermostats at different thresholds to regulate staggered response, saving energy versus an "all on/all off" approach.  


And this is just a few ideas - the possibilities of biomimicry are endless!  What ideas do you have?


Read Amy's full post at her blog, Liquid Triangle Sustainability