Biomimicry

SPANISH PAVILION, 2010 WORLD EXPO SHANGHAI After hosting the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in 2010, China is once again showcasing itself as an emerging country by successfully hosting a top notch World Expo for the first time ever in China. Universal expos are the ideal setting for countries to spotlight their best features and advertise themselves to the rest of the world. The Spanish Pavilion is located in the part of the expo grounds designated for national pavilions. Since the initial phases of the competition our intention has been to avoid conventional literal representations of the country in order to explore more abstract ideas. The pavilion is an expression of the climate of Spain and how it is experienced through architectu... More

First designed For Southern Guild 2009 collection. Nests are copying the genius of the Weaver Birds. The result is a human nest to be used outside hung in a tree or inside. It is an attempt at bio mimicry but my skills are no match for the delicate touch of a master. I have explored different materials from Port Jackson alien vegetation to Kubu cane to waste materials, looking for the most sustainable and effective solution. I collaborate with experts in the various weaving techniques to achieve what I dream. Sizes vary and nests can be ordered to suit your needs. They can accommodate from 1 to 4 people. First nest – 2m x 1.4m. Port Jackson, dak riet, fynbos, steel. More

The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo transforms a picturesque yet unsustainable urban pond from the 19th century into an ecological habitat buzzing with life.With the design’s improvements to water quality, hydrology, landscape, accessibility, and shelter, the site is able to function as an outdoor classroom that demonstrates the coexistence of nature and city.When it was built in 1908, Lincoln Park Zoo’s South Pond reflected the Victorians’ romantic and recreational concept of nature in the city. Today the pond offers benefits that extend beyond visual spectacle. As the Nature Boardwalk, it has become a crucial, connective habitat for resident and migratory animal populations, a popular outdoor destination and learning landscape f... More

The UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo expresses British creativity and environmental engagement at the biggest event of its kind since the Expo phenomenon began in 1851 with the Great Exhibition at London's Crystal Palace. Since then, there have been more than 50 Expos – which have also been known as World’s Fairs or World Expositions – and the most spectacular have included those at Chicago in 1893 and Paris in 1900. The latter attracted 50m visitors, a record at the time, setting an early benchmark for a country’s portrayal of innovation and progress. Held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions, the Shanghai Expo will be the largest the world has ever seen. Staged on a 5.28km2 city centre site beside the Hu... More

How do you knit and braid a building? Could a building be as lightweight as air? Can sport, in terms of the measurable performance of the human body, influence both design and fabrication and inspire the next generation of buildings? What if we could form-fit and enhance architecture with bio-architecture and performance of our own bodies? Turning performance into structure for the Nike Flyknit Collective, Jenny Sabin works at the intersection of art, architecture, design and science. There are instant similarities in this approach to the work of Nike’s Innovation Kitchen, where disciplines from different fields are brought together with a view to re-thinking basic principles and approaches to design challenges. myThread features novel form... More

The SOL Dome is a lightweight dome structure, 8 metre in diameter, 4 metre high and weighing only 40 kilograms. It was fabricated onsite over three days from thousands of individually woven circles of composite fibre. The structure is animated and part of a responsive lighting system, lit by a circular matrix of solar powered LED floodlights. The rotational breathing rhythm of the light is driven by an onsite CO2 sensor and is part of the studio’s ongoing research into creating environments that allow people to experience cycles of environmental data in public space. Technological Innovation Electrical Equipment • Super bright Tricolor LED units (RGB colour change) • Photovoltaic array (Mono-Crystalline Cells: Sunpower Maxeon w... More

LOTUS DOME is a living dome made out of hundreds of smart flowers which fold open in response to human behavior. Deep inside the 17th-century Sainte Marie Madeleine Church in Lille LOTUS DOME creates an interactive play of light and shadow. As a futuristic vision on the Renaissance LOTUS DOME merges elements of architecture and nature into an interactive environment. The project was awarded with the Media Architecture Award 2012 in the category of Future Trends. Commissioned by the City of Lille for Lille3000 FANTASTIC exhibition curated by Caroline David. More info: www.studioroosegaarde.net More

The Park Pergola in Máximapark (also designed by West 8) is a place where nature and culture come together. This botanical and ecological pergola offers the park visitors aesthetic delight in a cultural-historical context and provides for a greater diversity in flora and fauna. Last February, the first pergolas panels were placed in the Máximapark. This marked the start of the first phase of construction of a 900 meter pergola structure, which surrounds the North-Eastern side of the Binnenhof. The entire pergola will be 3.5 km long and 6m high, and enclose the green courtyard of the Máximapark, known as “The Binnenhof”, the unique structure of the pergola ensures a sense of openness and transparency is maintained. From a cultural-hist... More

Their agency is trying to take the time to deal with projects in every detail to produce quality architecture that is aligned with the values they carry. Dual jurisdiction architect engineer offers them greater freedom and autonomy in real projects they undertake. In 2007 as part of his studies, Robin met Gilles Perraudin, architect, with whom he reinforces his taste for Simple Architecture. The same year, he participated in the contest CIMBETON, for which he was awarded the engineering. Me his travels influence his daily work, notably in Japan, where he discovered a refined and minimalist architecture featuring raw materials. The realization of the pavilion give to him the opportunity to express the architecture of simplicity with which he... More