Applying biomimicry to design building envelopes that lower energy consumption in a hot-humid climate
TL;DR: In this article, the building envelope is a key design element, as it mediates the maintenance of the building, and the role it plays in energy consumption is discussed, as well as its role in energy efficiency.
Abstract: Design thinking in architecture has shifted due to warming climate, and the role it plays in energy consumption. The building envelope is a key design element, as it mediates the maintenance of com...
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TL;DR: In this paper , the authors provide an overview of nature-inspired materials applicable to buildings and civil structures, including bio-inspired novel cementitious composites, bacteria-enhanced materials, building envelopes and facade systems, and their applications.
33 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, shape memory polymer (SMP) was used for climate-responsive building skins. But the authors focused on shape-memory polymer and did not consider the effect of material-specific input.
Abstract: Smart materials are studied for climate-responsive building skins due to internal changeable properties stimulated by material-specific input. This research focuses on shape memory polymer (SMP) an...
20 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the potential of concrete tiles with complex geometries at improving thermal performance in building envelopes and found that tiles with increased thermal resistance could save on thermal insulation materials and improve the thermal performance of building facades.
16 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the application of biomimetics to architectural and urban design, in order to identify potential issues and successes resulting from implementation, and provide scientific clarification of functions and systems based on reviews.
Abstract: Application of biomimetics has expanded progressively to other fields in recent years, including urban and architectural design, scaling up from materials to a larger scale. Besides its contribution to design and functionality through a long evolutionary process, the philosophy of biomimetics contributes to a sustainable society at the conceptual level. The aim of this review is to shed light on trends in the application of biomimetics to architectural and urban design, in order to identify potential issues and successes resulting from implementation. In the application of biomimetics to architectural design, parts of individual “organisms”, including their form and surface structure, are frequently mimicked, whereas in urban design, on a larger scale, biomimetics is applied to mimic whole ecosystems. The overall trends of the reviewed research indicate future research necessity in the field of on biomimetic application in architectural and urban design, including Biophilia and Material. As for the scale of the applications, the urban-scale research is limited and it is a promising research which can facilitate the social implementation of biomimetics. As for facilitating methods of applications, it is instrumental to utilize different types of knowledge, such as traditional knowledge, and providing scientific clarification of functions and systems based on reviews. Thus, interdisciplinary research is required additionally to reach such goals.
15 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a case study example based on animal fur and blood perfusion was used to test the hypothesis that biomimetic building facades have a broader application in different building typologies across a range of climate zones.
Abstract: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions leading to anthropogenic global warming continue to be a major issue for societies worldwide. A major opportunity to reduce emissions is to improve building construction, and in particular the effectiveness of building envelope, which leads to a decrease in operational energy consumption. Improving the performance of a building's thermal envelope can substantially reduce energy consumption from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning while maintaining occupant comfort. In previous work, a computational model of a biomimetic building facade design was found to be effective in temperate climates in an office context. Through a case study example based on animal fur and blood perfusion, this paper tests the hypothesis that biomimetic building facades have a broader application in different building typologies across a range of climate zones. Using bioinspiration for innovation opens new ideas and pathways for technological development that traditional engineering design does not provide. This study exemplifies the process in a building facade, integrating a new form of insulation, heating and cooling. Methods of mathematical modelling and digital simulation methods were used to test the energy reduction potential of the biomimetic facade was tested in a set of operational applications (office, school, and aged care) and across different climate zones (tropical, desert, temperate, and cool continental). Results indicated that the biomimetic facade has potential to reduce energy consumption for all building applications, with the greatest benefit shown in residential aged care (67.1% reduction). Similarly, the biomimetic building facade showed potential to reduce operational services energy consumption in all climate zones, with the greatest energy reductions achieved in the tropical (55.4% reduction) and humid continental climates (55.1% reduction). Through these results the hypothesis was confirmed suggesting that facades engineered to mimic biological functions and processes can improve substantially decrease building operational energy consumption and can be applied in different building classifications and different climate zones. These results would significantly decrease operational greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of a building and provide substantial savings in energy bills. Such facades can contribute to the further reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in a broad range of contexts in the built environment and other areas of technology and design. The flexibility and adaptability of biomimetic facades exemplify how biological strategies and characteristics can augment and improve performance in different environments, since the organisms that inspire innovation are already well-adapted to the conditions on earth. This study also exemplified a method by which other biomimetic building envelope features may be assessed. Further work is suggested to assess economic viability and constructability of the proposed facades.
14 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations, for the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US $33 trillion per year.
Abstract: The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them are critical to the functioning of the Earth's life-support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. We have estimated the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations. For the entire biosphere, the value (most of which is outside the market) is estimated to be in the range of US$16-54 trillion (10^(12)) per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year. Because of the nature of the uncertainties, this must be considered a minimum estimate. Global gross national product total is around US$18 trillion per year.
18,139 citations
"Applying biomimicry to design build..." refers background in this paper
...Once a geographical location is chosen, the building should be designed to fit within the urban microclimatic and the city context and explore which ecosystem services it can provide (Costanza et al. 1997; Bhiwapurkar 2016; Zari 2017)....
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TL;DR: Self-assembling processes are common throughout nature and technology and involve components from the molecular to the planetary scale and many different kinds of interactions.
Abstract: Self-assembly is the autonomous organization of components into patterns or structures without human intervention. Self-assembling processes are common throughout nature and technology. They involve components from the molecular (crystals) to the planetary (weather systems) scale and many different kinds of interactions. The concept of self-assembly is used increasingly in many disciplines, with a different flavor and emphasis in each.
6,491 citations
TL;DR: The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantages of high energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process.
Abstract: The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantages of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. PCMs have been widely used in latent heat thermal-storage systems for heat pumps, solar engineering, and spacecraft thermal control applications. The uses of PCMs for heating and cooling applications for buildings have been investigated within the past decade. There are large numbers of PCMs that melt and solidify at a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of applications. This paper also summarizes the investigation and analysis of the available thermal energy storage systems incorporating PCMs for use in different applications.
4,482 citations
"Applying biomimicry to design build..." refers background in this paper
...They have been recently introduced for architectural purposes because they can be used for latent heat storage and delay the peak thermal load (Sharma et al. 2009; Kośny, Shukla, and Fallahi 2013)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors empirically tested whether different models are needed to predict the adoption of technical process innovations that contain a high degree of new knowledge radical innovations and a low degree of incremental innovations.
Abstract: This paper proposes and empirically tests whether different models are needed to predict the adoption of technical process innovations that contain a high degree of new knowledge radical innovations and a low degree of new knowledge incremental innovations. Results from a sample of 40 footwear manufacturers suggest that extensive knowledge depth measured by the number of technical specialists is important for the adoption of both innovation types. Larger firms are likely to have both more technical specialists and to adopt radical innovations. The study did not find associations between the adoption of either innovation type and decentralized decision making, managerial attitudes toward change, and exposure to external information. By implication, managers trying to encourage technical process innovation adoption need not be as concerned about modifying centralization of decision making, managerial attitudes and exposure to external information as would managers trying to encourage other types of innovation adoption, e.g., innovations in social services where these factors have been found to be important. Instead, investment in human capital in the form of technical specialists appears to be a major facilitator of technical process innovation adoption.
2,389 citations