The Magic Garden – Mamou-Mani ltd.
The Magic Garden is an installation by Mamou-Mani and is part of the Regent Street Window Project 2013 organized by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Hydro-Fold – ECAL & Christophe Guberan
Hydro-Fold (no not hygro) is a fascinating technique of folding that automatically begins to assume a three dimensional shape upon being printed from a normal ink jet machine. Invited by its Director Marva Griffin to the 15th anniversary of theSalone …
Chicago Spire's Formal Inspiration
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNI37ncgdXQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0] Its a well known fact that world renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava‘s formost teacher in design has been nature. Granted his approach isn’t very systematic like other examples we’ve seen in more progressive naturally-inspired projects, its still worth …
Andres Harris Bone Inspired Structure
Andre Harris in his article Biomimetic 1.0 explains how he looked to the paradoxically lightweight yet ultra strong structure of bone found in the skulls of birds to inspire his design for a biomimetically optimized surface. We mentioned in an …
Plant Stem Stability
Plant stability comes from internal expandable hydrostat pressure, when the plant dehydrates the plant looses stability – The stem evolves differently in water compared to air (below the principle is used in an artificial hip)
How a Pinecone Adapts
Dr. Veronika Kapsali from MMT Textiles with help from the University of Bath’s Biomimetics Group has developed a fabric inspired by the pinecone’s natural ability to open and close itself when exposed to moisture. Their temperature sensitive product adapts to …
The Cleaning Power of Lotusan
Sto Construction Material Corporation based in Atlanta with help from scientists at Germany’s Bonn University have developed an exterior paint technology called Lotusan which mimics the lotus leaf’s impeccable ability to stay clean. Nano-scale imperfections on the lotus leaf’s structure …
Sharkskin Inspiration
There was much talk at the Sydney Olympics about Speedo’s new Fastskin all body swimsuits. Researches at Speedo’s AquaLab studied shark skin to create a new material that practically eliminated the drag experienced under water. They were inspired by the …
Whale Fin Efficiency
Biomechanics researcher Frank Fish discovered that serrated edges like that of a whale’s fin are much more efficient in reducing drag compared to their smooth counterparts. His research was used to create a much more efficient wind turbine blade for …
Kingfisher Beak Design
When Eiji Nakatsu was asked to redesign the West Japan Railway Train to reduce the negative impact of drastic changes in pressure, he looked to the beak of the Kingfisher known for its perfect splash-less diving abilities.