Biomimicry, Teleology & Organic Architecture

3 units

This seminar is intended to develop an understanding of the history and evolution of Biomimicry as a significant design tool from the emergence of Biology as a science in the early 19th century to the present. Biology was the first discipline to confront the problem of teleology, of design in nature. For the past one hundred years, biological references and ideas are present in the work of architects and in the writings of architectural theorists. Biomimicry, a term coined by Janine Benyus, has developed into a new discipline that studies well-adapted organisms designs and processes and then imitates life's genius to design human applications, aiming at a sustainable development. The intent of this seminar is to establish a systematic approach to research and analysis of the history and theory of this biological analogy and its influence on the history of environmental architecture, as seen through the lens of biomimcry. In addition to a historical analysis, students will analyze case studies that exemplify the relationship of architecture to biology, focusing not only on built work, but on the writings and the designer's positions in terms of this relationship. Classes will consist of a combination of formal lectures and facilitated discussion periods. In addition, each student will choose a particular architect and, through research and analysis, will assess the influence of biomimicry in his/her work and present these results in a paper that includes a critical analysis and a proposal on how to advance the architect's work to the highest level of biomimicry.