Whether it’s increased awareness of climate change, the push towards energy independence, the classic bottom line, or a slew of other reasons, professionals in the world of buildings are re-evaluating our approach to designing, constructing, and operating buildings. Over the last several decades, as green design has moved into the mainstream, the approach for a more sustainable design has taken two general paths, usually in parallel.
First, there’s been a push to develop high performance technology: more efficient equipment, controls, new technology, and alternative energy sources. This is the basic: can we make “it” better. For example, taking a boiler and working on the design, tweaking the components and re-engineering it to move from 75% efficiency to 95% efficiency or even higher. It’s taken a “few” years but the industry has shifted.
Another example is the development of new technology. Ten years ago most people didn’t know what LEDs were. Or, take the world of photovoltaics which has seen a plethora of development ideas from increased efficiency and lower costs of classic PV panels to photovoltaic window film to building integrated photovoltaic’s (BIPV). The push for better technology is essential but also has limitations. It is reliant on those who are willing to be on the cutting edge, or even the bleeding edge, to help move the technology to the mainstream. The stewards who take on the bleeding edge of technology are basically beta testing the latest and greatest. Sometimes it works great, and sometimes it doesn’t, but the lessons learned cycles back to develop more improved technology. Those on the cutting edge face the higher
cost of new technology.
Second, there’s been a back to basics awakening. It wasn’t that long ago when buildings had a certain shape to allow for lighting of spaces by daylighting, back before electrical lighting became prevalent. Buildings were limited on what floor plane depth they could have resulting in “H” or “T” or “O” shaped buildings. In the last ten years, passive design strategies such as daylight harvesting and natural ventilation, have becoming more popular and mainstream. Instead of skipping straight to an engineering solution at address the building loads, design professionals are taking time early in the design to evaluate design decisions to reduce the design load engineered systems have to provide. Working with nature and the climate and harnessing it instead of engineering against it.
And now, we’re seeing the popularity of a new strategy to sustainable design. In an over simplified way, it’s combining the high performance technology and passive design approaches. Biomimicry is an emerging discipline that looks to nature’s solutions to the same issues we face: energy, climate control, pollution and much more. No reason to reinvent the wheel. It’s basically known as “the science of emulating nature’s best ideas to solve human problems.”
A classic simple example of biomimicry is in the world of structural engineering. What engineers in Japan discovered and the songstress, Ani Difranco, popularized, is that “buildings and bridges are made to bend in the wind…what doesn’t bend breaks.” We should be emulating trees. Originally buildings in seismic areas would be engineered to death – make them as rigid and solid as possible so they couldn’t possibly move. Since then structural engineering design has shifted to incorporate base isolation devices and shock absorbers to have a controlled movement of buildings.
Another example that is emerging is the living machine, a self-contained wastewater treatment system that mimics the natural process of treating toxins through wetlands. Applying biomimicry to the world of buildings is relatively new. But as we continuously push the boundaries of the built world, it’s essential that we continuously try new approaches and work towards a mindset shift. Looking not just at what others in our industry have done, but also what nature has done for new ideas. To get started, check out AskNature.org which has a database of technological innovations and ideas inspired by nature.
Suzanne Robinson is the Director of Sustainability at Vanderweil Engineers, a MEP consulting firm. Vanderweil Engineers has been exploring new and innovative approaches to the built world with clients all over the globe.