A. Frankić
Intro to Biomimicry
Fall 2014
Instructor: Dr. ANAMARIJA FRANKIĆ
Email Address: anamarija.frankic@umb.edu
Web Page: http://www.faculty.umb.edu/anamarija.frankic/frankic.html
Projects and classes website: http://www.umb.edu/ghp
Class meetings on Friday at 11 am to 2 pm; McCormack M01-0415
Course Description: Introduction to Biomimicry: What would nature do?
This course is an introduction to the field of biomimicry. “Biomimicry” (from Greek words bios,
meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a new science discipline that studies nature’s
best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. However,
etymology might lead us wrong, as it might suggest that biomimicry is only about copying
nature. Biomorphism has already taken care of that; in the field of aesthetics, it involves forms
that proceed from nature. Nor is the goal of biomimicry to just feed technological innovation, the
end to which bionics is dedicated. Bionics observes the way living organisms work and applies
that knowledge to human creations: robotics aeronautics or artificial intelligence. Therefore,
biomimicry is neither just aesthetic nor technological, and not just based on biophilia (E.O
Wilson). Rather, it focuses on sustainable growth, adaptation and resiliency. According to the
definition given by Janine Benyus, it aims at “importing and adapting the principles and
strategies, (as well as forms and designs), developed by living organisms and ecosystems to
produce sustainable goods and services and finally, to make human societies compatible with the
biosphere.” For example, biomimicry might help create a solar cell that is inspired by a leaf’s
photosynthesis with chloroplast and chlorophyll by applying to the solar cell the same principles
of sustainability the leaf embodies. It might design a passive cooling system for buildings
inspired by a termite mound, or find new sustainable strategies for restoring degraded
ecosystems. The ultimate biomimicry level is achieved when ‘imitation’ is based on the scale of
entire ecosystems. The goal is to reproduce an ensemble of interactions that can be found in any
“mature” ecosystem, such as a tropical or temperate forest, or estuarine wetlands or oyster reef.
Biomimicry asks the question: What would nature do and how? The goal is to create sustainable
products, processes, businesses and policies by learning from and “listening to” nature, to the
wisdom held in biological and ecological systems that has been evolving and accumulating over
the past 3.8 billion years. Natural systems and organisms provide stunning examples of effective
communication, collaboration, resource production and storage, and energy-efficient design.
Animals, plants and microbes are consummate engineers; they have found what works, what is
appropriate, and most importantly, what is resilient and sustainable. Biomimicry is inspired by
nature to study the structure, form and function of biological materials for the purpose of
analogous synthetic design and manufacturing. It abstracts lessons from nature into a sustainable
human object, process and/or life cycle. My premise in teaching is that “The environment sets
the limits for sustainable development;” thus the local ecology is the best place to learn and
teach about sustainable living in place. Nature function from bottom up not from top down
(almost in a 4D networks of collaboration and communication), this is one of the key approaches
humans need to re-learn and re-apply in our society, in built environment, in governance and
economy.
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Intro to Biomimicry
Fall 2014
Course Goals
The overall goal for the course is to introduce the interdisciplinary field of biomimicry and
provide real world experiences applying its methods/approaches through individual work and
group projects and discussions. This class fulfills the science distribution requirement. Students
are introduced to:
a) what verbal reasoning and critical thinking mean in science, how these are applied in
biomimicry and real life scenarios; and
b) effective communication through several course individual and group assignments
including class discussions, personal journal, public presentations and written
submissions.
By the end of the course, students will:
1) have a solid understanding of biomimicry and biomimetic examples,
2) be able to explain what biomimicry is to a variety of audiences in a clear and concise
manner,
3) assess lifelong problems using a biomimetic mindset; and
4) be able to understand biomimicry life principles as requirements in biomimetic
techniques for designing sustainable and resilient solutions.
Course Topics
 What is biomimicry and why is it important?
 Biomimicry principles, concepts, and methodologies
 How biomimicry relates to natural sciences, engineering, design, architecture,
governance, education, policies?
 Biomimicry solutions and new inspirations for addressing environmental and other
challenges
 How do we learn from nature? How do we ask nature? How do we live in harmony with
nature? (examples of strategies for listening to and learning from nature's designs and
solutions)
 How do we apply what we learn from nature? Biomimicry for holistic science and
education?
Learning outcomes
Students will learn about six key biomimicry life’s principles and their applications:
1. Evolve to survive
2. Be resource efficient
3. Be resilient
4. Integrate development and growth
5. Be locally attuned and responsive
6. Live using water-based chemistry and self-assembly
Required Reading (book) http://shop.biomimicrygroup.com/item/60
Biomimicry Resource Handbook – you can get the digital version for $69
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Course related references
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (2002) by Janine Benyus. USA Perennial
Design in Nature (2012) by Adrian Bejan and J. Peder Zane. USA Doubleday.
Cradle to Cradle (2004) by William McDonough
The World Without Us (2007) by Alan Weisman, St. Martin’s Press.
Economics and Limits to Growth: What’s Sustainable? (2009) by Donella Meadows
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/51127
What Environmentalists Need to Know About Economics (2011) by Jason Scorse
Frankić, A., L. *Greber and M. Farnsworth. 2011. Teaching and learning with nature using a
biomimicry-based approach to restore three keystone habitats: salt marsh, eel grass and shellfish beds.
Biomimicry Institute, Editor. Proceedings of the first biomimicry in higher education webinar. January
29, 2011: TBI. [PDF]
Websites
Biomimicry Guild: www.biomimicryguild.com
Biomimicry Institute: www.biomimicryinstitute.org
Biomimicry Newsletter: http://biomimicry.typepad.com/newsletter
The Center for Ecoliteracy: www.ecoliteracy.org
Ask Nature: www.asknature.org
Grade Evaluation
In order to count a course for Honors credit, a student needs to earn a B or better. Failing to meet
this requirement may mean taking an additional Honors course, but not necessarily leaving the
Program.
Grading will be based on three individual student papers (20% each), biomimicry team
final project paper and presentation (30%); attendance/preparedness/participation/ team work
and leadership (10%).
Your final letter grade will be based on the following percentile ranges:
92 - 100 = A
81 - 91 = B
To be successful in this course, you are expected to attend class regularly, prepare for class by
reading assigned work prior to class meetings, participate in discussions and group class
assignments; participate in the field trips; and ask questions in/out of class. The prerequisite to
engage and enjoy this course is to think critically, eloquently and to be curious.
Reading assignments will be sent to you by email;
Attendance Policy:
Attendance is mandatory and will be monitored. Attendance will be considered when deciding
borderline grades. Any excused absence requires a neatly written or typed explanation of why
you will miss or have missed and must have supporting documentation (Dr. excuse, tow bill,
etc.). It is your responsibility to submit the documentation during office hours and discuss the missed
class or assignment with me when you return to class and before the end of the semester – no
exceptions. For maters regarding academic dishonesty and misconduct, please refer to the UMass
Boston Code of Student Conduct: www.umb.edu/student_affairs/programs/judicial/csc.html
www.cpcs.umb.edu/support/studentsupport/red_book/policies_academic_dishonesty.html
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If you have a disability and feel you will need accommodations in order to complete course requirements,
please contact the Ross Center for Disability Services at the Campus Center 2nd floor, Room 2010, at 617287-7430.
ASSIGNEMENT DESCRIPTIONS
Biomimicry: What, where, why, how and when?
NOTE: You will submit all your assignments electronically
All papers: 5 pages, 12 font, times, must include citations and references!
#1 Case Study: What is resilient? And what is sustainable? Please provide examples for
resiliency and sustainability in both natural and human ‘worlds’. The first assignment is
supposed to let you express, tell a story and share what you think is resilient and sustainable
around you. How do you see it in a human world and how do you see it in a natural word. Your
own story is based on your current knowledge and experiences. There is no receipt how to write
it, just to share your knowledge, vision and perception about resiliency and sustainability.
Through your other assignments we are going to see if by learning about biomimicry your story
changes, or not. How do we perceive resiliency and sustainability as individuals coming to a
class of biomimicry; and how do we learn about practical resiliency and sustainability in
everyday life? (Due Sept19@11am)
#2 Case Study: Now when you understand the basic concept about biomimicry, go to:
www.asknature.org and choose an example from the natural world and try to apply it to the
human world: biomimicry case study; why did you choose this example? Explain why would
you apply it in the human world? (Due Oct3@11am)
#3 Case Study: You will use at least two of six biomimicry life’s principles to start a design
based on a biomimicry example you selected from asknature.org, which will bring natural and
human ‘worlds’ together. Please tell us a story: try to follow simple questions: what, where, why,
how and when. (Due Oct17@11am)
#4 Design Challenge Team Project: you will team up with another student(s) and throughout
this course you will envision and design the green pier/floating island! Your work will be based
on the student design challenge guidelines attached to this Syllabus. In addition, plan to use
effectively and efficiently your work in preparing your individual three papers, as they will help
you learn about biomimicry examples from nature. This challenge will give you and your team
an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge to envision and design the green pier/floating
island. Describe its goals and objectives, technological and engineering solutions that inspired
you by nature. Use biomimicry life’s principles to guide your ‘solution’; use art and media as a
way to describe it and help visualize it.
Project Design Assignment Schedule: I) Team Project synopsis 2pp due Oct31@11am; II)
Draft Project Design Paper 10pp Due Nov14@11am; III) Final Design paper 15pp due on
Dec5@11am;
#5 Final Presentations (10-15 min ppt/video/or any other media): Create a presentation based
on your team’s design project that illustrates your understanding of biomimicry as a solution in
addressing a particular human issue and need to live more sustainably with nature, and be able to
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adapt as a community to environmental and social changes. (Due during the final week of the
semester – Dec 12 presentations are open to public);
Draft Weekly Syllabus
(open to changes and student suggestions)
Week 1
What is biomimicry?
http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/about-us/what-is-biomimicry.html
Field trip: Savin Hill Cove – the first Biomimicry (b)LivingLabs
Week 2
Why biomimicry?
Biomimicry examples: what, where, why, how, when?
Week 3
asknature.org – learning from nature
Field trip: Boston Harbor boat cruise
Week 4
Biomimicry Life’s Principles (Fig.1): Evolve to survive
Week 5
Biomimicry principles: Be resource efficient
Field trip: bLivingLabs
Week 6
Biomimicry principles: Be resilient
Field trip: Warner Babcock Institute of Green Chemistry (Oct 10)
Week 7
Biomimicry principles: Integrate development and growth
Product’s life cycle,
Week 8
Biomimicry principles: Be locally attuned and responsive
Week 9
Biomimicry principles: Live using water-based chemistry and self-assembly
How do we apply what we learn from nature?
Class visit by FlexCon CEO John Sullivan
Week 10
How biomimicry fits within a framework of holistic sciences?
Field Trip: Ocean Literacy Summit at WHOI (Nov 7)
Week 11
Biomimicry as a solution? (sharing stories, verbal and visual communication)
Week 12
Biomimicry and interdisciplinary research
Field Trip: Nahant Lab (Nov 21)
Week 13
Green Harbors and Biomimicry
Week 14
Draft presentations and student group evaluations
Week 15
Final Projects - Public presentations
Biomimicry Life’s Principles (BI, 2011)
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Student Design Challenge
Biomimicry LivingLabs for resilient Green Harbors:
Channel by channel and cove by cove
Our goal is to envision, design and implement the first green pier and floating island to
‘biomimic’ natural coastal habitats that once constituted these shorelines: salt marshes, shellfish
and eelgrass beds (Frankic et al 2011). Why? To further improve water quality, support
biodiversity, protect from storms, flooding and erosion, and to offer educational, research and
outreach activities to students and local communities.
Such a project will meet a number of the goals of the City of Boston’s Watershed Activation
Plan, including enhancing the channel/cove for water dependent uses, such as recreational
boating and fishing; activating urban edges in order to attract the public and nature; and
enhancing the connection between the channels, coves, harborwalk, and other harbor habitat
restoration sites bringing human services and ecological services together.
There are many potential sites that our team identified as suitable for floating piers/islands.
However, the small islands don’t need to be anchored to the bottom. They could be attached to
an existing floating dock, or a riprap wall to biomimic rockweeds that move with the tide. The
selected pilot sites will become a potential future biomimicry livinglabs for ‘teaching and
learning by doing biomimicry’ right in the heart of the Boston Harbor (or any other urban
harbor). The shoreline surrounding the Savin Hill Cove has been fortified with granite riprap,
seawalls and harborwalk that provide a variety of human services but fail to provide ecological
services. Proposed floating island/green pier is designed and will be built based on biomimicry
life principles which support missing ecological services, for example: protecting shorelines
against storm water surges; reducing flooding and erosion; enhancing water quality and sediment
accretion, and providing habitat for a variety of species. Due to the interconnectedness of coastal
and marine ecosystems, the importance of this design site extends beyond the bounds of the
Cove into the larger area of Boston Harbor (and any other urban harbor), leading to a potential of
becoming the first Green Harbor in the world.
The proposed project would be elaborated in collaboration with local communities, as well as
related municipality and state organizations. All the required permits have been addressed and
discussed, and will be applied for when the pilot site is selected.
Educational, Research and Outreach Goals: Integrating Human and Ecological Services
Human development and coastal “hard structures” (e.g. ripraps, sea walls, piers, board walks)
provide all types of “human services” in urban coastal settings. However, they could also support
‘ecological services’ if paired with “soft structures” that are established and supported by
(floating) salt marshes, shellfish and eelgrass beds (Fig. 1a,b). Natural salt marshes, for example,
may support sediment accretion (up to 1.3 cm/y vertically), 21g/N removal/m2/yr, and 210 g
CO/m2/y. The GHP has been developing biomimicry methods of restoring coastal habitats that
will help adapt coastal urban areas to storm surges, sea level rise and water inundation, as well as
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to improve water quality and biodiversity in coastal areas. Designing floating islands/green piers
are one such approach.
Figure 1. a) Ecological services provided by three key stone habitats; and b) below missing ecological services in
urban harbors (based on Frankic et al 2011).
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Design description
Biomimicry principles have increasingly become a source of inspiration for design culture, as
both visually and functionally. For example, the spiral is a form that is continuously found in the
environment. Known as the Fibonacci sequence or Golden Spiral, it describes the logarithmic
pattern that is repeatedly represented in biotic life forms or as imprints on the land from abiotic
processes (Fig. 2). The salt marsh also has its own form that swerves, curves, and bends,
maximizing land-water edges and increasing ecological functionality. The curvilinear extended
form slows, spreads water flow, communicates and shares water and energy.
Figure 2. Spirals in Nature (top left to bottom right): Fibonacci sequence, Spiral Aloe plant, Salt Marsh, Vine Tendril.
(Dicklyon, J Brew, Doug Wechsler, originalbeauty.wordpress.com)
Our design proposal combines salt marsh functionality with spiral forms to provide a productive,
educational, and inspirational destination. By connecting two spirals with one another, the
movement of water is slowed, and its filtering/buffering function is maximized as it flows
through and between them. The porosity of the islands is achieved with the spiral form, which
also increases land-water communication edges and thresholds; a condition that mimics a salt
marsh’s edges with its large bends and swirls. This heightens the functionality of the floating
island when compared with conventional floating island designs that are rectangular and straight
(there is no straight line in nature. By increasing the island’s edges’ exposure to water, it has
the opportunity to become further cleansed, improved and healthy. The orientation of the spirals’
edges and openings are in direct relationship to the flow and ebb tide. It takes advantage of the
water flow, and redirects its current to follow the spiraling path (Fig 3).
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Figure 3. Floating Island Salt Marsh design concepts.
(Drawings by Julia Frederick, Cathy De Almeida)
While the spiral utilizes the tide on the lower level of the designed island/pier, a connecting
armature links the two islands together. It provides structure to the system and also presents the
opportunity for the upper level to support another type of salt marsh ecosystem. This allows us to
establish a low marsh on the spiraling substrate, and a high marsh on the upper linking spiraling
substrate (Figs. 3-5). The expected result is a more varied plant palette with increased
biodiversity, offering more habitat space, variation and supporting ecological resilience to the
island.
As the island marsh establishes itself, variety of
student research projects and monitoring can take
place, including rates of nitrogen (N) uptake,
dissolved oxygen and sediment accretion, compared
to those found in existing natural floating marshes to
determine if this spiral structure is more or less
effective at providing these ecological services
(Fig.4-5).
Figure 4. Floating marshy peat mat at Ponemah Bog
in Amherst (photo by Ben Kimball).
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Figure 5. High Marsh and Low Marsh: tidal fluxes and plant palette.
(Drawing by Julia Frederick)
Conventional material practices in current floating island wetland designs use recycled plastic
and foam as the base substrate to provide buoyancy (FloatingIslandInt). We believe that our
waters already have an excessive amount of plastic in them, and while they slowly decompose
over hundreds of years, they leach toxins into the water. Rather, we propose to use more organic
materials like the coir—fiber from the coconut seed, and a byproduct of coconut production (Fig
6). While still participating and contributing to a material cycling economy of waste production,
we are able to utilize a very affordable and productive substrate that provides nutrients and helps
to filter the water as it biodegrades. Any other material suggestions are welcomed, like the green
cement etc. (http://www.blueplanet-ltd.com/)
Figure 6. Coir fiber-floating island material cycle.
(Drawings by Cathy De Almeida)
The 8” thick coir mats are to be pre-established with the plants at an off-site testing area to
ensure their resilience when put on site. These mats, whose module sizes are 1.5m x 1m for the
lower marsh, and 1.5m x 0.75m for the higher marsh, are custom made by stuffing coir fiber into
coir netting, whose mesh size is 0.75in (Figs 6-7). This creates an opportunity for a participatory
process that can engage local communities in the making of the islands.
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Figure 7. Coir substrate mats module sizes.
(Drawings by Cathy De Almeida)
The modules are tied together with coir rope to form the spiral. Such module sizes provide easier
workability and allows for the island system to be more flexible and porous during tidal fluxes.
Assumption is that after 4-6 years, the coir, once providing structure it will biodegrade and the
plants and their roots will provide the supporting structure, similar to a peat bog. The island will
also be stabilized by tying coir rope to the floating dock’s piles, and using a material product that
provides aquatic habitat and oyster reef restoration called “Reef Balls”, as an anchor (Fig. 8).
The underwater spiraling structure is also made from coir rope, for potential future oyster
habitats.
Figure 8. Floating island section: attachments and anchor.
(Drawn by Julia Frederick, Cathy De Almeida)
The floating island salt marsh pilot project is a prototype that can be anchored. However, the
design can adapt to a particular site, depending on its size, pilings, docks available, etc. The
populating and establishment of floating island salt marshes in coves and channells has the
potential to not only improve the quality of ecological life and functionality, but to also
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contribute to the culture of Boston by raising awareness and providing an educational venue for
collaboration and experimentation.
Student Design Challenge Example
Summary: Redesign the existing Floating Islands to be more sustainable and feasible, both
environmentally and financially, by using the Carbon Mix admixture invented by Blue Planet
(Dr. Brent Constantz).
Student Team Assignment: Based on biomimicry Life’s principles and the whole system
approach, students will design and build a biomimetic floating island structure both
environmentally and functionally, which will be superior in comparison to the existing Floating
Islands built from recycling plastic by Floating Islands International (Fig. 9). Components will
be manufactured in the Boston area and the first demonstration green island will be installed as
part of the Biomimicry LivingLabs, at UMass Boston.
The students must first gain an in depth understanding of how the existing Floating Islands are
made and used (e.g. recycled plastic in modules of 20x5 feet). The major goal is to design an
environmentally sound product that provides maximum ecological services and minimum
negative impacts to nature. In addition, the final design should be easy to manufacture, install,
use and service. Component modularity must be considered.
Experts from the Blue Planet will provide information on Carbon Mix and concrete boat
construction, and will be available to supervise via video conferencing throughout the study. Dr.
Frankic (BNE and Green Harbors Project, UMass Boston) will give biomimicry seminars and
will provide supervision throughout this student challenge study and work.
Final deliverables will include the final student presentations and a green island prototype,
including: plan and elevation drawings, sketches and detailed descriptions of proposed uses,
innovative island designs, how and why these islands would provide sustainable function, and a
brief business feasibility study.
Figure 9. Floating Island (built from recycled plastic, 20x5 feet), installed in Savin Hill Cove, Biomimicry
LivingLabs in November 2013;
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