Ecological Design Principles
and Biomimicry
Defne Apul
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Toledo
Traditional
Chemistry
Math
Microbiology
Hydrology
Geology
Engineering design
Sustainable
Chemistry
Math
Microbiology
Hydrology
Geology
Engineering design
Ecology
Biology
Economics
Humanities
Policy
Business
Linear thinking
Non-linear thinking
Reductionist approach
Holistic approach (systems thinking)
Near future
Future generations
Regional analysis
Global analysis
The problems that exist in the world today cannot
be solved by the level of thinking that created them. Einstein
Environmental Engineering

Engineering applications of ‘environmental
things’





Water
Air
Soil
Nutrients, metals, chemicals
Waste (not a sustainability word)
Disparity Between Ecology and
Engineering
“People (hydrologists, engineers, and water
manager) who design and manage the
water infrastructures are rarely taught about
management consequences to ecosystems,
nor are ecologists trained to think about the
critical role of water in human society.”
Ecological Design Principles
Ecological Design Themes
Water Infrastructure: Exercise
Re-Conceptualization of System
Economic Perspective of
Ecological Design Principles
Direct: S6: Physically and economically accessible
Indirect environmental ideas: Energy efficiency, elimination of
waste, design for commercial afterlife
Indirect social ideas: Healthy, beautiful, socially just buildings
Ecological Design Principles
What is biomimicry?

From


bios, meaning “life” + mimesis, meaning
“to imitate”
Biomimicry = to imitate life
Biomimicry Definition



Term first made popular by Janine Benyus in
her book, Biomimicry: Innovations Inspired
by Nature (1997)
Viewing nature as role model/teacher–
nature has already solved many of the
technological and sustainability problems
that we face today - learning from nature, not
about nature
Imitate nature’s processes, not products
Airplane
Imitated not the bird (product)
but the air flow around the wings (process)
Learning from nature not about
nature
Nature as Teacher

When faced with a problem, ask the
question “What organism needs to solve
the same problem to survive….What
Would Nature Do?”
N
N
Nature as Teacher (cont’d)

Inspiration - look to nature to transform
society






water
energy
materials
food
Invention - original processing starting with a
natural process that solves a similar problem
Information - life adds info in the form of
shape/structure
Us vs. “Them”

Us







Linear
Centralized
Individualistic
Independent
Inflexible
Singular
Them






Circular
Decentralized
Cooperative
Interdependent
Adaptive
Redundant
Our Results







Depleted natural resources
Habitat loss
Climate change
Endangered/extinct species
Persistent bioaccumulative toxins
Dependence on petroleum
Problems!
Their Results




Life creates conditions conducive to life
Energy only from sunlight
Materials synthesized at ambient
temperatures using local materials
No toxic pollution



only a few of all of chemically possible
structures are synthesized (humans use the
entire periodic table!)
No waste
No problem!
Biomimicry Principles
Nature…..
B1: Runs on sunlight
B2: Uses only the energy it needs
B3: Fits form to function
B4: Recycles everything
B5: Rewards co-operation
B6: Banks on diversity
B7: Demands local expertise
B8: Curbs excesses within
B9: Taps the power of limits
Food: 1cal10cal
Water/wastewater 420kcal
per person per day
Information - life adds info in
the form of shape/structure
Examples of fitting form into
function
Sticky Gecko Feet
The “tail” of Velcro….
Humpback Whales
Kingfishers
Bionic Car from Box fish
20 % less gas consumption
Termites (No air conditioning…)
Shark skin swim suit
V-shaped ridges on shark skin
Shark skin Michael Phelps
Three types of biomimicking
1. Mimicking form: What’s the design?

Physical form can be inspired: velcro inspired
from burs
2. Mimicking process: How is it made?
- blue mussel manufactured glue
- orb weaver spider’s strong fiber
3. Mimicking ecosystems: How does it fit?
-water infrastructure
Treatment Plants versus Wetlands
Olentangy River Wetland
Research Park
Maumee River Lucas
County WWTP
Free Water Surface Wetlands
Kadlec, R.H. and Knight, R.L, 2008, Treatment Wetlands, CRC Press
Horizontal Subsurface Flow
Kadlec, R.H. and Knight, R.L, 2008, Treatment Wetlands, CRC Press
Stranahan Arboretum Mesocosms
Stranahan Arboretum Lysimeters
Vertical Flow Wetlands
Kadlec, R.H. and Knight, R.L, 2008, Treatment Wetlands, CRC Press
Summary

We are facing increasing pressures:




Energy, Water, Materials, Food
Nature has already “figured out” how to
avoid these problems
Look to nature as a teacher/role model
Use ecological design principles to
inspire engineering projects
Acknowledgements











Slide #4 www.wisebread.com/hitching-a-ride-on-an-airplane
Slide #5 http://estrip.org/elmwood/users/matthew/images/1105/burr3857.jpg
http://www.kidsgardening.com/2005.kids.garden.news/may/burrs.jpg
Slide #6 Benyus, Janine. 1997. Biomimicry: Innovations Inspired by Nature.
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, NY, 320 pp.
Slide #8 http://www.marykayemusic.com/images/Illustrations/BigBadWolf.jpg
Slide #9 http://greenasathistle.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/forks.jpg
Slide #12http://www.stpatricksguild.com/prodimg/401530.JPG
Slide #14 http://www.leopardgeckoguide.com/wp-content/gallery/geckos/geckofeet.jpg
Slide #15 http://earthfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/whale-bump.jpg,
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707222315.htm
www.animals.nationalgeographic.com
Slide#16 http://www.bioteams.com/images/nature_as_desig.jpg
Slide #17 http://www.dancewithshadows.com/auto/mercedes-benz-bionic-cargallery.asp
Slide #18 http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/12/10/building-modelled-on-termiteseastgate-centre-in-zimbabwe/
Acknowledgements (cont’d)




Slide #19 http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Seashell-on-BeachPosters_i1100827_.htm
http://www.virginpacificwater.com/whole_pipe_op_800x786.jpg
Slide #20 UN Environmental Program
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=535&ArticleI
D=5816&l=en
Slide #21 http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1107/1435241752_a20d75347f.jpg?v=0
http://www.aerosil.com/pub/NR/rdonlyres/65199EEB-DD68-422A-A27FF91AF82BA85E/0/lotuseffect0005.jpg
Lotus Effect:http://biodsign.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/lotus-effectefecto-lotus/
Slide #24 http://www.tc.umn.edu/~gambl007/geckos/gekko_gecko_mo2.jpg
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/04/biomimetics/tom-mueller
text/8