BIOMIMICRY: INNOVATIONS INSPIRED BY NATURE

This blog is a review of Janine Benyus’s book, Biomimicry: Innovations inspired by Nature.

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“Claiming that we are superior to the rest of the creation is like saying the Eiffel Tower was built so that the scrap of paint at the top would have somewhere to be. It’s absurd but it’s still the way we think” – Mark Twain

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Establishing the hokum of human nature, Benyus, in this book discusses the emerging field of biomimicry, where humans look to nature for guidance and inspiration in the design of technology, engineering, and architecture. It explores how humans can learn from nature’s design solutions to create innovations that are sustainable and efficient.

The book is divided into eight chapters clubbed in four parts that explore different aspects of biomimicry:

Part I introduces the concept of biomimicry and covers the basics of how it works.

Part II delves deeper into the scientific principles and design implications of biomimicry.

Part III takes a closer look at the various domains and applications of biomimicry, including buildings, agriculture, energy, and transportation.

Part IV concludes with a discussion on how biomimicry can be implemented and integrated into systems thinking and cross-disciplinary approaches. The book emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in how we approach design, from domination over nature to partnership with nature.

Benyus explores how nature can inspire and guide design by examining a range of examples. These examples touch on a diverse set of subjects, from the biomimetic engineering of beaver dam structures for river restoration, the intermediate filaments in human cells to kangaroos’ digestive processes as foundation for sustainable waste disposal.

Benyus says, through close observation of nature, we can develop solutions to our challenges in energy efficiency, materials science, medicine, and other fields that are already present. The book invites the reader on a journey to explore the wonders of nature as a source of inspiration and innovation.

In conclusion, Biomimicry is an inspiring read that provides a detailed discussion of the principles underlying biomimicry, how it can be applied, and what it means for our future. Benyus argues that by studying and mimicking nature, we can create innovative, sustainable solutions to the design challenges that we face today. She envisions a future in which human ingenuity works symbiotically with nature’s wisdom to improve our lives. And myself as an ecological architect and sensitive human being, I find the concept of biomimicry fascinating and hope to incorporate it into my future designs. I recommend this book to anyone interested in sustainable design and how we can learn from and work with the natural world to create a better future.


Reference links to learn more about the author and biomimicry design information:
https://biomimicry.org/janine-benyus/
https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action?language=es
https://asknature.org/
https://toolbox.biomimicry.org/