Biomimicry, that is. Taking what’s worked for millions of years in nature, and applying the same concepts and strategies to the built environment is making for the next wave of sustainability thinking. The concept of biomimicry is showing us that we still have a lot to learn from Mother Nature.
Today’s session Nature + the Built Environment = A New Design Equation was fascinating – from both a theoretical as well as practical basis. Panelists Chip Crawford, senior VP, director, HOK Planning Group and Taryn Mead, biologist, Biomimicry Guild brought this somewhat elusive concept to life for both the layperson and the experienced.
Just in time for Earth Day, this session provided a unique look into the future of sustainable building and communities. According to Chip Crawford of HOK, this is “their next generation of thinking on sustainability,” and in their partnership with The Biomimicry Guild they seem to be on the forefront of making whole-hearted systemic change, not just token building adjustments that earn LEED points.
Offering up unique case studies for products and projects, as well as long-term building of new cities, this duo is clearly setting new standards and building an ecological index for the future.
Taryn Mead also mentioned a unique website where you can explore how nature might solve a current day problem – www. asknature.org. I tried “light the dark” and “irrigate the desert”. The site returned some interesting results.