Abstract
In relation to rising energy costs and the increasing importance of social responsibility to address climate change, the implementation of energy efficient processes and methods is imperative for the built environment of the future. Building emissions contribute 36% to global energy use and 39% to energy related carbon dioxide emissions annually. A new approach to building and design is needed, now more than ever. The documented morphology of animal/insect built structures are ubiquitous. Examples of these include wasp and bee hives, burrow complexes, beaver dams and spider webs. Each manifest resolution of biodegradability, continuous sustenance and non-detrimental influence on surrounding ecologies. Existing synthetic approaches and processes in the built environment are simply unjustifiable, and a critical shift in the frame of thinking about buildings, cradle to grave, must take place – perhaps it is time to do it nature’s way...
M.A. (Architecture)