37

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences Eurasia J Biosci 11, 37-44 (2017)

Biomimetic and vernacular building design in connection with environment

Marjan Arbabzadeh 1*, Iraj Etesam 2, Seyed Majid Mofidi 3 1 PH. D Candidate, Science and research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran and Lecturer, School of Art, Architecture and urban design, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, IRAN 2 Professor, Science and research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IRAN 3 Professor, School of Architecture and Urban development, Science and Technology University, Tehran, IRAN *Corresponding author: marjan.arbabzadeh@gmail.com

Abstract For decades, building construction has been seen largely as a way of living apart from the environment and dominant nature. This has turned out to be a pyrrhic supremacy and the current ecological crisis has motivated many professional and academics to re-evaluate the fundamental premises of the buildings are designed and produced. In this research, at first, some of the biomimetic and eco-tech architectural prototypes were chosen and analyzed. Secondly, some of the vernacular and traditional architectural examples were selected and analyzed based on their relationship with nature and environment. Finally, these two groups were compared and their similarities and differences studied. In the final step, some of the best strategies based on these analogies for contemporary sustainable architecture in coordination with nature and region were derived. In the other words, this research aims to propose a model for architecture which responds to a threefold problem: energy, environment, and health. Keywords: biomimetic, intelligent façade, energy efficiency, vernacular architecture Arbabzadeh M, Etesam I, Mofidi SM (2017) Biomimetic and vernacular building design in connection with environment. Eurasia J Biosci 11: 37-44. © 2017 Arbabzadeh et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH PROBLEM The ecological crisis reached a pick after the

modern movement in architecture. Many of these environmental problems are the result of excessive use of mechanical energy in residential buildings. Here you can find a sung in a film directed by Qatsi that beautifully portrays this crisis in the form of historical mythological thoughts:

“If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster.

Near the day of purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky.

A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans.”

Translation of the Hopi Prophecies sung in the Qatsi trilogy film.

Architectural profession is at a critical point in the history with regards to reducing its impact on the natural environment. Modern technology reveals this impact. The world can see and measure the negative impact that the buildings have in areas like air pollution, water contamination, global warming (climate change), natural materials extraction and waste accumulation. Yet, there

is hope. Whether it is called green, eco, enviro-, sustainable or biomimetic design, architects are considering this challenge as a great opportunity.

Modern architecture acclaims that “Une maison est une machine-à-habiter.” (A house is a machine for living in.). Modern thought ignored the context of the architecture and this context includes environment (climate), history, culture and etc. Therefore, many of modern buildings are forced to consume more mechanical energy and produce more pollution and couldn’t respond to environmental and cultural needs completely.

So a major question can be that how we can design more eco-friendly buildings? Or how we can design the buildings which consume energy with little environmental impact? On the other hand, Nature creates things in a very long process of experimental creation (billions of years of natural creation). There are many adaption strategies which raise the harmony and balance between nature (environment) and creations. Saving energy or high efficiency based on minimum consumption of energy and recycling waste are two major principles in nature. So it can be a good model for

Received: February 2017 Accepted: May 2017

Printed: August 2017

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 11: 37-44 (2017) Arbabzadeh et al.

38

architectural creation. It can solve the contemporary challenge of architecture about energy and pollution. It can save Gaia (earth)1.

RESEARCH METHODS The research method is comparative method. It is

based on a comparison process (study similarities and differences) of architectural surfaces and natural skin in the first step. In the second step, a qualitative investigation of different natural skin structures and their response to natural changes and conditions will be done. In the third step, an inductive method based on the results of previous steps will lead to architectural creations resulting from inspirations of natural models.

Responsive building skin Functional analogies from nature based on questions

arising in current façade technology are investigated in this study. Sets of questions concern daylight transmission, thermal insulation, ventilation, cooling, and energy. The first scan in biological databases will be delivered around 16 phenomena from nature that had interesting properties. Models with transferable characteristics will be identified in the next steps of the study, in order to identify underlying principles for architectural model development that will be followed.

Achieving to Bio skin model based on development of novel energy efficient façades of the future will be the fundamental purpose and the final step of this research (Gruber 2011)

Making building façades behave even more like natural skins is to have them respond and interact with the exterior and interior environments. Skins of flora and fauna are constantly responding to regulate temperature, humidity, gas exchange and daylight.

For too long our building skins have been seen as inanimate and static barriers between man and the outdoor environment. With new technologies, however, our buildings skins now have the opportunity to be dynamic and engaging with the outdoor environment. If a building, be more in tune with its environment and respond to its temperature, humidity, light, then it also becomes efficient in real time as opposed to a constant, preprogrammed setting.

Intelligent Façades can be described as intelligent if it senses a change in its local environment and responds automatically. Research into biomimetic topics shows that processes found in nature could have potential applications, but the discipline is at an early stage. In summary, intelligence can manipulate the building environment to maintain comfortable conditions for the individual but it can also contribute to the broader aims of minimizing energy use and reducing waste (i.e. meeting both short and long-term sustainability goals).

1 The Earth personified as a goddess, daughter of Chaos. She was the mother and wife of Uranus (Heaven); their offspring included the Titans and the Cyclops. (The earth viewed as a vast self-regulating organism.)

We can find many adaption solutions in nature. Many living organisms seek physiologically tolerable conditions, called homeostasis in biology. There are several factors that are constantly regulated by the body of an organism to achieve homeostasis, including concentrations of nutrients, oxygen, salts, heat, pressure, and volume (Hill et al. 2008). These factors are manipulated through the following processes for homeostasis:

• Gas regulation: Respiration/ Ventilation • Water and osmotic regulation: Osmoregulation • Heat regulation: Thermoregulation Living organism’s adaption may occur at various

scales of time (through the day, season or evolution period). Natural factors in different environments have necessitated the evolution of unique adaption s in terms of physiology, morphology, and behavior (Louw and Seely 1982); the physiological and morphological adaptions reflect functional features that help organisms to adapt to their environment, whereas behavioral adaptions relate to the actions done by organisms in order to survive (Badarnah Kadri 2012).

Intelligent building skin-Heat management (thermoregulation)

A morphological solution in nature can lead to formal and structural inspiration in architecture. For example, snakeskin and different kinds of shells allowing changes in the form which is a very popular topic in biomimetic design. On the other hand, several models from nature have been explored and examined to provide solutions for the built environment that influence energy requirements. Thermoregulation, i.e. protection from heat loss was another important issue.

Insulation in nature will be investigated in these respects: furs and feathers will be investigated and applied as adaptive insulation that relies on the change of insulating air volume. One of the most successful designs is cactus as a role model: the natural pattern of the long white hairs of the cactus provides sunshade and an internal microclimate (Fig. 1). The pattern formation can be used and scaled up to be used for shading building façades. Designing façade claddings by considering a strong link between structure and function in biological systems is another aspect of natural inspiration research. The discussion about façades without interpreting them as structural elements for the whole building seems strange but is useful in order to concentrate efforts on issues of exchange with the environment (Fig. 2) (Badarnah Kadri 2012).

Concepts for exchange concern mostly opening and closure systems for ventilation on material and structure level inspired for example by the stomata of leaf surfaces or the passive opening mechanism of pine cones.

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 11: 37-44 (2017) Arbabzadeh et al.

39

Signaling mechanisms from nature are another searchable issue. Some natural models like skin structure of cephalopods which send signals based on changes in thermal properties. The results will be lead to an architectural inspiration which imitates the responding behavior to climatic changes.

Earth building and earth construction is an age-old process that is being re-developed for our modern world. In the UK alone, there are nearly 50000 earth buildings still in use. Therefore, the theory and construction of the earth-sheltered building is nothing new. Early indigenous peoples utilize the protective qualities of the earth to provide shelter from both heat and cold, as evidenced by early pit houses and cliff dwellings. Later civilizations in the UK and other places like Iran also used the insulating qualities of the earth for the walls and roofs of their buildings. Currently, earth-sheltered building theory comes under various headings, including Passive Annual Heat Storage (PAHS) and Annualized Geo-Solar (AGS). While each technique has its variations, they hold this idea in common that the earth can provide insulation from the elements. The basic principle at work in earth-sheltered design is the time lag inherent in heat transfer into and then back out of a thermal mass, in this case, the soil surrounding the building. Unlike standard passive solar gain, which seeks to level out the diurnal temperature swing from day to night, the earth-sheltered design is based on the seasonal variation from summer to winter. With a careful design that includes a sufficient depth of surrounding soil, proper waterproofing measures, and passive ventilation, the walls and surrounding soil of an earth-sheltered building slowly absorb and store heat in warm months and release that stored heat back to them when it is needed in the winter (Fig. 3) (Badarnah Kadri 2012).

In Iran, there are many traditional and vernacular buildings which do relate to the earth. Earth construction

has a low environmental impact compared to conventional buildings techniques.

Earth-sheltered architecture has a high potentiality of energy efficiency rather than above-grade constructions. They have the potentiality for decreasing the heating and cooling energy demands of a building through reducing heat transfer. In addition, the stable fluctuation of soil temperature creates a constant internal temperature during the year (Liu et al. 2015).

Organisms gain heat from radiation and metabolic heat production. Solar radiation is the most commonly available external source for irradiative heat gain and metabolic heat production is an internal source for heat gain.

Absorb radiation Insects and reptiles use solar radiation as a source

of heat gain. Color, conductance, distance from the heat source, and orientation (relative to the sun) affect their rate of absorption. Dark colors absorb more radiation than bright colors, where many reptiles can change their skin color by dispersing and contracting dark pigments in their skins. Enlarging the exposed area for irradiation increases heat gain as well, small organisms gain heat faster than larger ones. A proper orientation of body parts towards sunrays, e.g. spreading legs and flattering the body, increase exposed area. Overheating is avoided by changing posture, brightening skin color, and/or moving into a shaded area. Even indirectly, solar radiation can be a source of heat gain. For example, cool lizards (e.g. chuckwalla) come in close the rock surface and enlarge body surface to gain heat. There are other animal and plants that use similar strategies to reduce or enlarge area- volume for increase or decrease heat gain (Park et al. 2016).

Some building design technologies lead to the ability to increase or decrease the transparent surface of façade and change the amount of heat gain (Fig. 4).

Fig. 1. Cactus skin structure and Cactus tower, integration of nature and architecture, source: www.google.com/image

Fig. 2. Animal Fur skin, Thermoregulation (biology temperature regulation), source: www.google.com/image

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 11: 37-44 (2017) Arbabzadeh et al.

40

Another natural strategy to minimize heat load in hot and dry climate is based on skin color. Many animals and plants have bright or reflective skin which minimizes heat gain. The desert brittlebush has reflective silvery leaves. Another example is Florida scrub lizard which has a bright skin capable of decreasing heat gain. Silvery fish with sleight of reflection is another example in this case. The reflective titanium museum surface that mimics fish skin is a good case study in this context. There is some other building which uses this strategy including Foster Armadillo building (Fig. 5).

Water management Exchange and storage of water is another aspect

which will be considered. Water conservation is very important in hot and arid climates. Control of solar input, humidity, and evaporation through a semi-permeable membrane which can be imitated in architecture will be studied through some appropriate case studies.

Water management can be classified into four main parts: water gain, water transportation, water conservation, and water loss. Water gain strategies can be divided into condensation and diffusion strategy.

Water conservation is important when water is limited. This can be reached by these strategies: reduction of evaporation rate, reduction of radiation exposure (irradiation). Water transportation can be reached through gravity, capillary action, and venation. Water loss can happen through evaporation (Badarnah Kadri 2012).

Here are some examples of the topic that we discuss here: There are some case studies in water management (Fig. 6).

In these examples, natural skin is the medium for water gain and water management through condensation. The super hydrophilic leaves and water absorbing hair and thorn structure of some plant and animals can be compared with similar design strategies in the building design.

Gas regulation: Respiration/ Ventilation Many species of mille metric fungus-harvesting

termites collectively build uninhabited, massive mound structures enclosing a network of broad tunnels that protrude from the ground meters above their

Fig. 3. Underground nest, thermoregulation, Geo thermal, some building example based on natural inspiration, earth sheltered buildings, source: www.google.com/image

Fig. 4. Some animals and plants can increase and decrease their body surface for heat gain, some intelligent façade can change for maximum and minimum heat and light gain, source: www.google.com/image

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 11: 37-44 (2017) Arbabzadeh et al.

41

subterranean nests. It is widely accepted that the purpose of this mounds is giving the colony a controlled microclimate in which to raise fungus and brood by managing heat, humidity, and respiratory gas exchange.

Ventilation necessarily involves two steps: transport of gas from underground metabolic sources to the surface, and transfer of gas across the porous exterior walls within the environment.

Although diffusion can equilibrate gradients across the mound surface, it does not suffice to transport gas between the nest and surface. Thus, ventilation must rely on bulk flow inside the mound. Previous studies of mound building termites have suggested either thermal buoyancy or external wind as possible drivers, making a further distinction between steady (e.g., metabolic driving, steady wind) and transient (e.g., diurnal driving, turbulent wind) sources (Fig. 7).

There is biomimetic inspiration based on this natural strategy which causes natural ventilation in the

buildings. One of these buildings is the Eastgate complex in Zimbabwe, is a 324000 square feet complex. It is huge, and in the hot climate of a place like Zimbabwe, its primary cooling method is natural ventilation. Engineers from Ave Arup firm got the inspiration from termite wounds. Another example is a traditional wind catcher that can be found in the arid area of Iran. In the contemporary architecture, we can find some modern inspiration of wind catcher in new buildings (Fig. 8).

Fig. 5. Reflective animal and plants skin is reference for intelligent building façade inspiration, source: www.google.com/image

Fig. 6. Water management and water gain through skin structure in animals, planets and architecture. source: www.google.com/image

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 11: 37-44 (2017) Arbabzadeh et al.

42

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Based on the studies done and the case studies

selection, there was a table derived from the studies. This table (Table 1) shows various ways for natural resources management. Solar energy, water, and air are natural factors which need to be managed in order to maintain animal and plant survival. There are many ways for compatibility between living creatures and diverse environmental conditions. In the table below we can find some of the processes which lead to survival techniques. It is noted, that case studies selected based on some of these strategies and further examples need further studies in future.

Some of these buildings can be found in Table 2. Natural strategies which led to the formation of architectural inspirations in the form of eco-tech buildings or low-tech buildings like vernacular and traditional buildings are classified in Table 2. These buildings are in maximum harmony with the environment and some common rules can be derived based on these comparisons: • All construction and the processes are optimized

for energy consumption. • Construction is integrated instead of additive

construction. This can be a reaction to modernism which considered the building as a separate part of environment, nature and regional context.

• Fine adjustment with regard to the environment. • Complete recycling instead of waste accumulation.

• Integration instead linearity. • Optimization of the whole instead of maximizing

single element. • Multifunctional instead of Monofunctional. • Intelligent façade and skin which is responsive to

environmental changes. These rules are the final result of this research

although further studies can be complete this research in the future.

Fig. 7. Termite construction based on air circulation for stable temperature, source: www.google.com/image

Fig. 8. Vernacular and modern wind catcher can create proper air circulation, some vertical central space in modern building can circulate air that lead to a proper thermal condition without mechanical or electrical energy, source: www.google.com/image

Table 1. Heat, air and water management process, source: authors Functions Process

Heat

Gain Radiation absorption Metabolic rate increase

Retain

Conduction reduction Convection reduction Exchange Radiation retro-cellaring

Dissipate Metabolic rate reduction Convection enhancement Conduction enhancement

Prevent radiation minimization Reflection

Air

Exchange Diffusion Unidirectional flow

Move Natural convection Pressure difference Velocity gradient

Water

Gain Condensation Diffusion

Conserve Evaporation control Irradiation reduction

Transport Gravity Capillary action

Lose Evaporation

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 11: 37-44 (2017) Arbabzadeh et al.

43

Table 2. Analogy between biomimetic and vernacular architecture, source: authors Nature strategy Contemporary biomimetic solution Vernacular solution

Heat

Water

Air

44

REFERENCES Agus Salim NA, Mydin MAO, Ulang NHMd (2014) Biomimetic Architecture in Building Envelope Maintenance (A

Literature). Building Surveying Department, Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, University Technology MARA Perak, Perak, Malaysia, published by EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20140301007

Badarnah Kardi L (2012) Towards the LIVING envelope: Biomimetics for building envelope adaption. Wohrmann Print Service B. V., Zutphen, The Netherlands.

Badarnah L, Nachman Farchi Y, Knaack U (2010) Solutions from nature for building envelope Thermoregulation, Proc. of the fifth Design & Nature Conf.: Comparing Design and Nature with Science and Engineering Carpi A & Brebbia CA eds (Southampton: WIT press). https://doi.org/10.2495/DN100221

Crystal FBA D (2011) Language diversity, endangerment, and public awareness. The British Academy Lecture, read 23 February 2011.

Eltrapolsi AH (2016) The efficient strategy of passive cooling design in desert housing: a case study in Ghamdames. Libya, The University of Sheffield.

Gruber P (2011) Biomimetic in architecture-Architecture of life and buildings, Springer Wien Newyork. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0332-6

Harris M (2015) Multimedia review, Journal of the society for American music 9(2). King H, Ocko S, Mahadevana L (2015) Termite mounds harness diurnal temperature oscillations for ventilation. Proc

Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112(37): 11589-93. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1423242112 Liu X, Wang Z, Liu J, Yang Z (2015) Concept Design and Development Model of Underground Villas. Journal of

Engineering Science and Technology Review 8(3): 46-52. Mazzoleni I (2013) Architecture Follows Nature, Biomimetic Principles for innovative Design. CRC Press. McDonald Haywood K (July 2007) Beyond words: The use of the non-verbal genre in natural history filmmaking.

Monatan State University, Bozeman, Montana. Mirrezaei SA (October 2015) An Ecological Study on Earth Sheltered Housing in Different Climates, Eastern

Mediterranean University. http://hdl.handle.net/11129/2954 Park, JJ (2016) Adaptive biomimetic façades: compound bio-inspired design strategy for multi-functional stadiums.

The University of Melbourne-Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. Yowell J, Oklahoma N (2011) Biomimetic building skin: A phenomenological approach using tree bark as model. A

Thesis approved for the Department of Architecture, University of Oklahoma.

www.ejobios.org