Melissa Sterry's presentation 'Biomimicry in the Built Environment: Sourcing Sustainable Design and Engineering Solutions From Nature' shown at Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference, held at University of Salford, 11th June 2010.

1. Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference 2010
BIOMIMICRY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Sourcing Sustainable Design and Engineering Solutions From Nature
By Melissa Sterry of NEW FRONTIERS

2. Visual futurist Syd Mead’s vision of the city of Doho, Qatar in the future.
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3. A different vision of the future.
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4. Why biomimicry?
1. BIODIVERSITY: Creating wildlife
inclusive urban habitats to
accommodate migrating insect,
bird & mammal species.
2. FOOD & WATER SCARCITY:
Growing food locally & rain
harvesting.
3. CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS:
Adapting to hotter summers &
heavier downpours.
4. NATURAL RESOURCE DEPLETION:
Supply shortages of many building
materials.
5. WASTESTREAM RECYCLING:
Sewage & rubbish recycling in situ.
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5. EMERGING PRINCIPLES IN 21ST CENTURY DESIGN
LIVING DESIGN - living materials & structures
SYMBIOSIS - interdependent systems
CLOSED LOOPS - creating zero waste
LIFETIME GUARANTEE - repair & retro-fit
MATERIAL MINIMALISM - less is more
ORGANIC ORIGINS - as nature intended
MICRO-ENERGY - self-powered design
HARVESTING - rainwater, natural sunlight
MULTI-FUNCTION - multi-tasking design
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6. BLUEPRINTS
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7. COPYCATS
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8. BIOMIMETIC DESIGN #1
Steve Fambro’s Aptera
• 300 miles or more to the gallon
• Shape minimizes air resistance
• 3 wheels minimize drag on the road
• Interior and exterior LED lighting
• Solar assisted climate control system
• Recycled materials
• Both electric and plug-in hybrid models
• Top speed of 90mph
• 0-60 in around 10 seconds
• Ample storage - interior large enough to
fit a surf board

9. BIOMIMETIC DESIGN #2
Ross Lovegrove - DNA Staircase
• Inspired by DNA and human bone
• Made it from fiberglass and unidirectional carbon
via bladder molding
• High-performance composite manufacturing to
produce hollow lightweight form

10. BIOMIMETIC DESIGN #3
Ross Lovegrove - Solar Trees
• Solar-powered urban street lighting
•Solar branches follow the sun

11. BIOMIMETIC DESIGN #4
University of Southampton & Checkmate SeaEnergy’s Anaconda funded by EPSRC
200m long flexible rubber tube filled with seawater, sealed at both ends, sits on ocean surface generating
wave energy
Each passing wave squeezes the rubber, producing a bulge that ripples down the tube, powering an electric
turbine at the end

12. WHERE NEXT FOR BIOMIMICRY?
RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS - living materials developed
for a wide range of applications
URBANATURE - the concrete jungle becomes an urban
paradise and bio-diversity inclusive
ORGANIC GROWTH - cities become self-sustaining, self-
protecting ecological systems
CHROMATOPHIC - environment responsive materials that
change colour / texture
LIGHT FANTASTIC - solar harvesting, light optimized, light
responsive
ECOUSTIC - acoustic structures, quiet, natural noise
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13. Fiction or future reality?
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14. Melissa Sterry, NEW FRONTIERS
Melissa.Sterry@newfrontiers.uk.com
http://newfrontiers.uk.com
Twitter @NEW_FRONTIERS
"at present there is only a 10% overlap between biology and technology in terms
of the mechanisms used” Professor of Biomimentics Julian Vincent
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