Sustainability frameworks can be confusing for many people. However, a look at what nature offers can be a simple compelling message for sustainability and an endorsement of more government support for healing the earth and its atmosphere
BIOMIMICRY: The sustainability framework and processes of the built environment can be confusing to the general public, not least because of the many competing voices and opinions in the field.
Not only can scientific intensity help find a lasting solution faster, but a well-formulated unifying theory can encourage the public to support the effort.
The complexity of regulations, ratings and international laws is high and will increase every year due to “human error”. A unifying theory reduces complexity and increases understanding.
Many fields of research and professions suffer from multiple definitions. Rheude et al. (2021) point out that this is a problem especially in collaborative, modern, interdisciplinary teams for built environments. It is an existential topic: Many areas of research have indicated that a unifying theory can better direct energy, resources and time in order to find answers even faster.
We advocate that the biological structure and processes of the earth are a template for most sustainability research. If we let nature guide us, we can reduce human impacts on the environment with a near-natural life cycle approach
In August 2021 we found 4407 journal articles with the terms “Unifying Theory” or “Unified Theory” in the title in the SCOPUS database. Its first publication was recorded in 1951, and more than half have been published since 2000.
A quick and deep immersion is possible when a visible and long-experienced system is in the foreground. Immersion is of course the first step to mastery.
The chaos of creativity and often overlapping scientific research is predictable. That is in the nature of research. However, we believe that having a simple and accurate primary model for proponents and skeptics is critical to planning, communicating, executing and measuring.
In addition, using a familiar system will help actors such as government and citizens fund the researchers’ recommendations.
We advocate that the biological structure and processes of the earth are a template for most sustainability research. If we let nature guide us, we can reduce human impacts on the environment with a near-natural life cycle approach.
The discipline is currently referred to as bionics and bionics. Discipline follows nature as its guide. The earth’s natural systems are a finished artifact that all humans can see, experience and use.
Designers, developers, builders and end users of built environments can confidently control their actions when there is no guidance. You can suggest and pursue the concepts of nature right away, and with good reason. The millennia of testing is global, with billions of iterations under vastly different circumstances.
Examples of innovations that imitate nature
Some Applications of the dynamics of nature could illustrate some strategic and practical examples of this unifying theory. For example:
Upgrade solar power – Moths are an unlikely inspiration as they mostly come out at night, but their adaptation to seeing in the dark could be energy efficient. Moth eyes efficiently absorb sunlight and create a black appearance. Solar panels, on the other hand, reflect a lot of light, which makes them suboptimal when it comes to generating electricity. The surfaces of solar cells are smooth, but moth eyes are bumpy. A group of researchers added similar small bumps to solar cells and found that they can absorb larger amounts of light while making them water repellent at the same time.
Living Buildings – The Bullitt Center’s energy system was partially modeled on subterranean streams to regulate its temperature and minimize energy consumption. This building’s system reads data from a weather vane across the street and uses it to know when to change the orientation of windows or blinds. In addition, the roots of the building have 130-meter long geothermal wells that circulate water. The temperature of the water exchanges heat either in or out of the earth for the comfort of the residents. The Bullitt Center in Seattle is considered the greenest commercial building in the world.
Mushroom material creates more sustainable building insulation – The Biohm company produces insulation from mycelium – the “root” structure of mushrooms. The resulting product is 100 percent natural. From a technical point of view, Organic Refuse Biocompound (ORB) is made up of biowaste and vegetable binders. In addition, this building material is cheaper and outperforms current products on the market.
Passive and energy?efficient air conditioning mechanisms to cool the residents – The Eastgate Center is a shopping mall and office building in Zimbabwe. It is designed based on the termite mound example.
Rather than regulating the temperature in the building with a traditional air conditioner, the Eastgate Center was designed to use a more passive system. Various openings throughout the building also allow for passive internal airflow powered by outside winds. These design features work together to reduce temperature changes inside the building when outside temperatures fluctuate.
Fans act as a backup system for times when the wind is calm. Minimal equipment is required for the first construction, and energy consumption in building operations has been significantly reduced.
Summary
A unifying theory is required to solve sustainability problems in the built environment. The public must be a partner in order to achieve critical goals. Other fields show the value of a simple framework. It provides strategic direction and actionable tasks, both of which are required to achieve transcendent goals.
It is the responsibility of each individual to carefully examine the systems and structures of nature. This creates “eyes that see”. There is no better setting than nature. It is easily available and tested and gives everyone confidence and clarity in their thinking and actions. Nature is a “ready-made” seller for sustainable design and construction practices. A well-informed public will encourage more government-led investments to heal the earth and its atmosphere.
Relation:
Rheude, F, Kondrasch, J, Röder, H & Fröhling, M 2021, ‘Overview of terminology in sustainable building’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 286.
Matt Stevens PhD and Laura Almeida PhD research and teach at Western Sydney University
