This also represents one of the main objectives of structural design. In natural models, there is an effective integration of form, function, and structure, as well as of these factors with their environment. Transfer of Strategies from Nature to Structural Engineering “The basic structural constraints (gravity, wind and snow loads) are the same for natural structures as for buildings”. Ultimately, design in the field of structural engineering is based on the same laws of physics as in nature, and because of this, similar problems, analogies, and models exist. This transfer of technology, variously called bionics, biomimetics or biognosis, should not be seen so much as a panacea for engineering problems as a portfolio of paradigms”. It seems likely, then, that ideas from nature, suitably interpreted and implemented, could improve the energy efficiency of our engineering at many levels. A similar situation obtains with engineering, where cost is usually the most significant parameter. This involves efficiency both in metabolism and optimal apportionment of energy between the various functions of life. This is because animals and plants, in order to survive in competition with each other, have evolved ways of living and reproducing using the least amount of resource. “There is a duality between engineering and nature, which is based on minimum use of energy. There is a clear analogy between nature and structural engineering, based on the search in both fields for minimum energy consumption to evolve towards the most efficient systems possible. Some well-known examples of biomimicry in architecture are Norman Foster’s Gherkin Tower (2004, London, UK) or The Eastgate Centre, designed by architect Mick Pearce (1966, Harare, Zimbabwe). Biomimicry is defined in her book as a new science that studies nature in order to imitate it or to draw inspiration from it to solve human problems. The term “biomimicry” was proposed in the 1980s by the biologist Janine Benyus, author of the book Innovation Inspired by Nature. The term referred to the study of the functions and structures of biological systems as reference models for design in the field of engineering. Steel, at a conference entitled “Bionics Symposium: Living Prototypes, the Key to New Technology”. In 1960, the term “bionics” (as a combination of the terms “biology” and “technics”) was also invented in the USA by Jack E. Schmitt to designate a new field of knowledge within biomedical engineering. Specifically, the term “biomimetics” was proposed in the 1950s by the biophysicist and engineer Otto H. However, the formal creation of the field of knowledge in biomimetics is very recent. Countless analogies can be found in the architecture of all ages.
Left: spider web (photo by last accessed 2 December 2021) center: mollusk shell (photo by last accessed 2 December 2021) right: Double O Arch in Utah’s Arches National Park: 22 m long sandstone arches (photo by Ken Lund).Īs mentioned, it is a common strategy among architects and engineers to take inspiration from nature for the design of buildings and other constructions. Through the calculation models developed, it has been possible to verify the poor performance of the initial designs compared to the power of the final solution, which, after more than 5 years of research by the design team headed by Utzon, was able to solve the enormous problem with a “simple” typological and geometric change. This paper analyzes the influence of nature as a source of inspiration in this World Heritage building, assessing through FEM calculation models the suitability of the different solutions proposed and weighing up the influence of certain factors such as scale in this type of process. This is the case of Jørn Utzon and the design of roof shells of the Sydney Opera House, in which the search for natural references was constant, from the nautical references in the initial design phases to the final spherical solution based on the analogy with an orange. Architects throughout the ages have looked to nature for answers to complex questions about the most appropriate structural forms for their buildings.
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