Coursebooks 2017-2018

• Directory
• EPFL websites
• Place
• Courses
• Publications
• News
• EPFL units

Search

 

Nature inspired architecture

AR-494

Lecturer(s) :

Dubravcic Darja

Language:

English

Summary

Nature inspired architecture is an approach that looks at how other organisms have solved the same engineering problems we are facing today and then applies these solutions to create new forms, functions and systems. Like,passive cooling mechanisms inspired by ant ventilation.

Content

Courses:

• Introduction to Biomimicry
• Biomimicry in Architecture
• Life's Principals
• Living Buildings: Form and Function
• Living buildings: Skin (materials)
• Living buildings: metabolism (independent entities, capture water, produce energy, clean air, regulate temperature, move).

Seminar: 2 external speakers (architect, designer, biologist).

Field trips: observing nature, asking why, understanding natures design (Botanical Garden, Lausanne Aquarium, Natural History Museum of Lausanne).

Design challenge ' applying natur einspired thinking to a specific architecture problem.

Keywords

bioinspired, nature inspired, biomimicry, sustainable architecture.

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

none

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Apply bioinspired thinking to any engineering problem.
• Design your own bioinspired solution.
• Assess / Evaluate your design agains life's principals.
• Optimize your design in energy and materials.

Teaching methods

Courses, individual exercises and group work on a project.

Assessment methods

Exercises 30%, design challenge 70%.

Resources

Bibliography

Biomimicry in Architecture, Michael Pawlyn, 2011.

Built to grow-Blending architecture with biology, Ed. by Imhof, Barbara / Gruber, Petra, (Edition Angewandte) 2016.