Dylan Reynolds

Biology 1090
Carlene Worthington
08 Nov 2015
The Buildings Are Alive!
Biology is found everywhere and is related to everything. Everything we do, interact
with, and everything around us has biological similarities/backgrounds. Even our fields of study
and what we desire to do in life for a career ties back in with the sciences of biology. Everything
from business to engineering. For me, I have not yet been absolutely settled on the field I wish to
explore more fully, but I have a list and on top of that list so far is architecture. It surely does
amuse and interest me. The thought of designing buildings and then getting to see them become a
reality sounds awesome to me. The thought of it relating to human biology is also kind of cool
wouldnt you say? Believe it or not, the art of architecture has many similarities with this science
and uses it to express ideas more fully. Whether it is the make up of a cell wall inspiring the roof
of a building or the actual chemical make up of our bodies that can tie in with how a structure is
formed, these two fields relate. I would love to tell you why and how.
Living things are self sustaining and use their own resources to survive. It is a very
efficient way to live. If that can be applied into how things are made and sustained, it would
change the world in many ways. What if this is already being done? If you look at the example
discovered by Doris Sung, you will believe it. She was a biologist and got her degree in biology,
but she became an architect. Using the knowledge of biology, she has changed the way things are
made. Take for instance her response in an interview about the relation of human skin to building
skin:

The skin is the first line of defense for the body. It cools by sweating, heats by
inflating (goose bumps), resists sun by making melanin, it protects from dirt,
water and so many other things. If it works well, the heart and lungs dont have to
work so hard. Building skins can operate the same way and prevent the
mechanical system (AC or heating) from overworking and using up huge amounts
of unnecessary energy. With smart materials like thermobimetals, envelopes can
now self-shade, self-ventilate, and self-operate. (ArchDaily.com)
Using thermal bimetals, Ms. Sung has created technology that can expand and contract according
to outside temperatures. This can provide sun, or shade and also ventilation for the building
without using electricity which saves money, energy and other resources. The mechanical and
electrical systems within the building do not need to be used as much, thus making the use of
energy much more efficient. In this way, biology has had a huge impact through Sungs work. It
is as if the buildings are alive and it makes it a lot easier to manage. The buildings take care of
themselves just like a body does.
The design of buildings, bridges, parking garages, etc. can be undeniably inspired by
biology. The different shapes and forms found within cells and other organisms can be imitated
in the structure of things built by people. Things that make up our biological form are obviously
the most beautiful, natural and strongest things in nature. They have withstood the times, and
having these designs implemented into architecture really provides strength and depth to it. This
broadens the relationship between biology and architecture.
Billions of years of evolution and adaptation has made the biological world far more
efficient and life saving than hundreds of years of people building things. This has caused
architects and designers to try to find ways to make their plans work together with nature. One

example comes from Jason Dearen on ZDNet.com in an article he wrote about a building in
London called The Gherkin. It was designed after a certain sea sponge that uses its shiny
exoskeleton to filter in nutrients and water. The Gherkin is shaped the same way to filter in cool
air for the offices, instead of using air conditioning which is not a natural way of sustaining life.
The structure has basically become a living organism. The use and creation of buildings for
peoples use is inevitable, but if we are able to create these structures in line with the way nature
creates things, it becomes more natural. Eric Ellingsen said in an article on The Scientist.com,
Today, more designers are accepting the idea that physical structures are a part of a larger
organic network, and that the structure, forms, and environment influence each other, just as in
living organisms. This supports the fact that architects are aiming more towards these processes
of constructing buildings.
The next time you look at a building, look for ways that it is in touch with its biological
side. I would say that you will be able to find at least one thing, whether it is inside or out, that
relates to human biology. And not only related, it uses the technology involved in biology to
make it more involved with the natural world instead of just being a pile of bricks on the earth.
Architects and the art of architecture is making a transition to this way of designing and
constructing because it really is the most proficient way of doing it. It is following a way that has
developed over thousands of years, the way of life.

References
Dearen, Jason. "The Buildings Are Alive: In Biology, Designers and Architects Seek Answers |
ZDNet." ZDNet. 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Ellingsen, Eric. "Designing Buildings, Using Biology." The Scientist. 27 July 2007. Web. 20
Sept. 2015.
Galloway, Andrew. "When Biology Inspires Architecture: An Interview with Doris Kim Sung."
ArchDaily. 13 May 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
Salingaros, Nikos A. "TOWARDS A BIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF
ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM: LESSONS FROM STEVEN PINKER. 1 Mar.
2003. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"The Way Architecture Imitates Life, Biology Meets Geometry." Science 2.0. 30 Oct. 2014.
Web. 20 Sept. 2015.