BiologicalInspirationProcess

Ourcomplexisinspiredbymanybiologicalsystems,mostnamelycoralreefs.Were
happywithhowourbiologicalinspirationendedup,butitwasalongpathtogethere.At
thestartoftheprojectandthescopingprocess,ourgroupstruggledalittlebitwiththe
actualbiomimicryportionoftheprocess.Wehadacoupleofapplicableideas,butwe
werentabletorelateittoaspecificprocessorsysteminnature.Aftermorethinking,we
widenedourscopetolookatbiomimicryonamoresystemiclevel.

Welookedatmanydifferenttypesofsystemsinnature,focusingoninterconnectivity
andsymbiosis.Wewerestilllackingagoodidea,whenwetookatriptotheBirch
Aquarium.Thefirstthingwenoticedwhenwegottherewasalloftheactionhappening
inthecoralreefs.Therewerefish,coral,snails,urchins,sponges,andmanyother
animalsalllivinginonecollectivespaceandtheamazingthingwas,theywereall
workingtogetherinperfectunison.Itwasalmosttheperfectecosystem.Weknewfrom
thatmomentforwardthatthatwasthesystemweweregoingtouse.Therewereso
manydifferentspeciesofanimalsworkingtogethertosupportthisgreatersystemthat
housedthemallandprovideddifferentfoodsandresource.Itwasalmostexactlywhat
wewantedtocreateinourowndesign.

Coralreefsarehometomorethan2,000speciesoffish,5,000speciesofmollusks,700
speciesofcoralsandcountlessotherformsofcrabs,seaurchins,brittlestars,sea
cucumbersandwormsofdifferentgroups.Manyorganismsliveoncoralreefsbecause
theyprovideshelterandfood.Theyalsohavesomeofthehighestbiodiversityofany
naturalhabitat.Thiswouldbeidealforustodrawinspirationfrom,asourapartment
buildingwouldbehometoahighdensityofpeoplefromallwalksoflife.

Weknewsincethebeginningofourscopingprocessthatwewantedtodosomethingto
helpwithfooddeserts,sincethatwassomethingwewereallpassionateabout,butwe
werentsurehow.Werealizedthattobestwaytoaddressthisproblemwastocreatea
systemofapartmentsthatprovidesbothfoodandshelter.So,wecreatealowincome,
selfsustaining,healthyfoodproducingapartmentcomplexthatcansupportahigh
populationdensity.

Somespecificssystemsthatweareimplementingintotheapartmentare,solarpanels,
compost,communityfarmersmarkets,greywater,andabuildingmaintenancesystem.

Wetriedtorelatethemajorityofthesesystemstosystemsinnature,andmostlyto
coralreefs.

Forexample,coralreefsaremadeoutofcoralpolyps.Thereisaveryinteresting
symbioticrelationshipthatoccurswithintheselittleorganisms.Thereisamicroscopic
algaethatlivesinsidethestructureofthecoralpolyp.Thepolypprovidesthealgaewith
shelterandprotectionfrompredators,andthealgaeprovidesthepolypwithaconstant
sourceoffoodandnutrients.Wetriedtodemonstratethisrelationshipinthegeneral
systemofourapartmentcomplex.Weusedthissimplerelationshipbycomparingthe
systemofthebuildingtothepolypandthepeoplelivinginthebuildingtothealgae.The
buildingsystem,protectsandhousesthepeople,whilethepeople,oralgae,providethe
buildingsystemwithwastetoproducecompostandmaintenancetokeepthebuilding
cleanandrunning.

AnotherexampleofsystemweusedwasbasedontheAmazonianRiverSystem.We
implementedagreywatersystemthatmakesexcesswaterfromwashingmachines,
dishwashers,toilets,andanyotherwaterusingappliancessafetouseforgardening
andcompost.ThisissimilartothewaythattheAmazonianRiversdilutethesalinityof
theocean,makingitsafeandlivableforallkindsofRiverandRainforestdwelling
creatures.

Lastly,wehaveafewsmallerexamplesofspecificcreaturesandbroaderconcepts.
First,wecomparedtheParrotfish,wholivesonmosttropical,andsubtropicalreefs,to
thecommonearthworm,livinginthecompostbins.Wemadethiscomparisonbecause,
liketheparrotfisheatscoralandexcretessand,thewormeatsthecompostand
excretes,healthyandnutrientrichsoil.Anothersimilaritytheyhaveisthewaythatthey
usethematerialtheyexcretedtohidefromhungrypredators.Amorebroadexampleis
thefactthatthesunisthemostimportantfactorinmaintainingahealthy,vibrantcoral
ecosystem.Whereasintheapartmentcomplex,thesolarpanelswillbethemainsource
oflife,orelectricityandhotwater,tobemorespecific.

Theuseofthesesystemswillhopefullycontributetothedissolutionoffooddesertsall
overthecountry.Ithinkthatbecause,likeacoralreef,ourdecisionissouniversaland
diversethatitcanbeusedalloverthecountryinlowincome,overpopulatedareas.