ISSN(Online): 2319-8753
ISSN (Print): 2347-6710
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,
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Vol. 5, Issue 8, August 2016
Generative Algorithm for Architectural Design
Based on Biomimicry Principles
Parag Sarwate1, Akshay Patil2
M. Arch (by research) Scholar, Department of Architecture and Planning, Vishveshvaraya Institute of Technology,
Nagpur, India1
Associate Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, Vishveshvaraya Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India2
ABSTRACT: Generative algorithm is a tool that allows designers to explore possibilities of parametric design in realm
of architecture. The aim of this paper is to understand and explore the application of generative modeling based on
biomimicry principles to architectural design. It is also necessary to explore how the biological principles can be
applied and realized in computational environment with the help of algorithmic approach. This paper outlines the
relationship between biomimicry principles, generative algorithm and their architectural applications. The main
contribution of this article is in combining the parametric tools of generative algorithms for the design parameters of
built environment. The paper also investigates new strategies and tools for architectural design that are inspired from
biological processes.
KEYWORDS: Biomimicry, Architecture, Generative algorithm, Parametric Modeling.
I. INTRODUCTION
Nature as inspiration is often combined with mathematics in order to move beyond the superficial inspiration and
realize a design[1]. The fluid order in nature is characterized by repetition, growth and change with the fundamental
rules that generate order in nature not being absolute but relative, flexible and soft [2]. Algorithmic generation is a
method of generating order by setting a basic rule and allowing various external factors to interact with it and can yield
organic patterns that resemble the natural world [1].
In contemporary architecture design, digital media is increasingly being used not as a representational tool for
visualization but as a generative tool for the derivation of form and its transformation [4]. The use of computational
techniques increasingly saturates development biology, from the acquisition, processing and analysis of experimental
data to the construction of models of organisms. Similar to the biological processes, it is a process of shape/pattern
development enabled by computation but in digital environment. But when it comes to algorithms it is not just about
softwares and computers, they describe a process of logical thinking.
It became an integral tool in the design process. Computational Geometry became an interesting subject to study and
combination of programming algorithms with geometry, yielded algorithmic geometries known as Generative
Algorithms [5]. Although 3D software helped to simulate almost any space visualized, it is the Generative Algorithm
notion that brings the current possibilities of design, like parametric design in the realm of architecture. The field of
algorithmic generation based on natural principles and processes and their application to architecture is what is of
utmost importance to us.
If we look at architecture as an object, represented in space, we always deal with geometry and a bit of math to
understand and to design this object [5]. In the History of architecture, different architectural styles have presented
multiple types of geometry and logic of articulation and each period has found a way to deal with its geometrical
problems and questions. Since computers have started to help architects, simulate space and geometrical articulations, it
became an integral tool in the design process.
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II. APPLICATION OF BIOMIMICRY TO ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT
The nature has always been an inspirational source for architects and designers. This inspiration has given various
highly efficient designs in various fields. One of the best concept in which, we see nature as the influential source of
inspiration. Biomimicry means mimicry of biological processes. Biomimicry is a new science and design discipline that
studies natures models and then emulates these forms, processes, systems and strategies to solve the problems of our
time [6]. The core idea is creative and sustainable by necessity and it can be used as an ecological standard to judge the
sustainability of our designs.
It is a fast growing and exciting field of study that seeks to understand how to integrate living and breathing organisms
into a design process. Although various forms of biomimicry or bio-inspired design are discussed by researchers and
professionals in various fields but practical application of biomimicry as an architectural design method remains largely
unrealized and is a new emerging discipline within architecture seeking to use nature and its systems as an educational
tool for sustainable design.
It is assumed that application of biomimicry principles in design is the most nature friendly medium to achieve
maximum sustainability. However, biomimicry as a design method remains mostly unexplored. The available
literatures and works definitely give us a clear idea about the outcome of biomimicry applications in terms of overall
sustainability or regenerative potential. Hence the utmost need is to explore avenues of various applications on realistic
fronts.
What Ramaswamy (2007) provides is a way in which to understand the different approaches used with architecture.
While he does discuss all five approaches, his focus tends to be on interpretation; this appears to be largely due to the
fact that there is a broad range of examples. Simulations can be seen in many examples, but is a superficial approach
that does not do any real justice to the ideologies of biomimicry, and Ramaswamy points out that while they may copy
form or appearance, they are often highly energy inefficient and involve complex processes of construction which are
environment unfriendly. What interpretation offers is a wide range of examples that take attributes from nature such as
geometry, structure and systemsand apply them in a manner which improves their performance. The ideal for
Ramaswamy is replication and emulation but these require a conceptual leap, where buildings act as living organisms
[7].
This paper will focus on how the campus or institute moves towards sustainability by adopting relevant biomimicry
principles and approaches within their campus design. It seeks to demonstrate realistic picture of how institutes can
achieve efficient campus [Link] are areas of innovation and learning. Institutes are also large economic
engines that have huge impacts on the regions they inhabit. Therefore campus is the ideal location to test out concepts
of sustainable development on a small [Link] thought out campus design has the potential to incorporate a
sustainable built environment which provides essential ecosystem services as well as social psychological and
economic benefits. Campus design is a broad concept that includes the efficient built environment and overall master
plan.
The basic objective of any institute or campus is to synthesize user needs. It should give a sense of community and a
sense of belonging. The main challenges like circulation should be at ease and very efficient. There should be effective
interaction and open communication between different buildings and users. Pedestrian and vehicular movements should
be well organized and planned. Scale, size, proportion and form of the built environment should be as per use and need.
And at the same time it should fulfill all the necessary requirements like daylight and energy consumptions. Lastly
functional and visual ties of buildings, indoor and outdoor spaces should be justified as per context.
It is necessary to identify an approach which can fulfill all the above requirements and at the same time can achieve
sustainable built environment. The application of biomimicry to the architectural context can be stated as one of the
best medium to achieve sustainability. How application of biomimicry principles on campus is possible and how
generative algorithm play its role in shaping campus are the two things which will be addressed in this paper.
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III. GENERATIVE ALGORITHM
Scale is one of the main issues in biomimicry inspired design and nature as a source of idea to generate computational
model. Some ideas in microscopic scales are not viable to transfer and mimic in the macro scale [8]. That is the reason
biomimicry is still mostly unexplored on the actual scale. The evaluation of any physical outcome of biomimicry
undergoes lots of experiments and tests to check if the idea is working on the desired scale or not. This issue can be
treated efficiently with the help of generative algorithm and simulation.
Architects and designers are using Algorithms as the computational tool to do their task. An algorithm is a set of rules
and instructions in a step by step procedure to calculate process data and do a defined task. For any piece of data as
input, an algorithm will perform its predefined operations and calculate the results. In this manner, a design algorithm
will also provide a design output if being fed by relevant input information. In conventional design systems, there are
various parameters like site, program, building typology, facilities etc which should be considered during the design
process. In algorithmic processes it is attempted to transfer these parameters as input information into algorithm to
generate design solutions [5]. This process is currently known as algorithmic, parametric or generative design. This
paper investigates how one can develop these generative algorithms for institute designs based on biomimicry
principles.
The process of computation has three main steps. The first step is the form generation process and the result would be a
digital geometry which is associated with certain external data. This is the aim of the algorithm which converts the
natural morphogenesis of an organism to a digital one. The second step is fabrication. After developing geometry with
algorithms it is necessary to build that geometry in the desired scale. If we want a real scale build environment based on
biomimicry principles, then we have to introduce fabrication process in Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM). CAM
made it possible to build such building profiles by using digital fabrication machines [5]. Moving from design to
fabrication encompasses a critical point. Any built environment is a physical entity and the design generated in
computational tool needs to analyze in every manner. This analysis might start from environmental analysis like sun
exposure, shade, wind, rain etc. or structural behaviour, energy consumption and so on. It can help to improve design in
various ways. This could result into a dynamic feedback loop which affects design process. These feedback loops could
be considered for enhancing its behaviour and get more successful results.
Generative Algorithm is an experimental approach to create practical architectural solutions based on biomimicry
principles.
Many of our design choices are controlled by laws and regulations, and certain decisions rule out or enable new options.
As with algorithms, we too are controlled by if/then/or-else conditional choices. We make decisions based on validated
data on algorithmic processes and those decisions guide us through the design process.
To work with complex objects, a design process usually starts from a very simple first level and then other layers are
added; complex forms are comprised of different hierarchies, each associated with its own logic and details. These
levels are also interconnected and their members affect each other. So this method of design deals with the huge
amount of data and calculations and happens through the flow of algorithms. The point is that all these geometries are
easily adjustable after the process. Designer always has access to the elements of design product from start point up to
details. Actually, since the design product is the result of an algorithm, inputs of the algorithm could be changed and
the result would also be updated accordingly.
Algorithm makes smart decisions for designers to achieve desired results. Algorithmic design process for architecture
has three states of action:
Input of data set
The manipulation and analysis of the data set
And the output of the data set.
Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0508099 15234
ISSN(Online): 2319-8753
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Vol. 5, Issue 8, August 2016
There are various tools available to generate algorithmic design in architecture in the form of parametric software's,
plug-ins, scripts and codes. In the fifth section we will see how form and geometry is generated with the help of this
parametric software.
IV. METHODOLOGY
Biomimicry is a methodology in which biological systems, processes and elements are studied to draw analogies to
be applied to design challenges in a sustainable manner.
This paper seeks to understand application of generative algorithm based on biomimicry principles to the architectural
context. To achieve this, a case of institute is selected to fulfill the requirement of architectural context. Some issues are
identified where biomimicry principles can be applied. Various examples of biomimicry principles are identified which
are relevant to the context. Grasshopper is used as a computational tool for developing site plan grid. 3D Max is used
for built forms.
V. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND RESULTS REVIEW
This section will develop the design challenges identified in the context appraisal (Section II). Adopting from relevant
literature study, organisms/ecosystems that could solve these challenges will be identified. This will involve challenge
to biology design spiral. The use of spiral involves identifying what the major challenges are and seeking
organisms/biological systems that meet these challenges [9]. The process involves 6 stages as follows:
1. Identify: The challenge
2. Interpret: Design brief
3. Discover: Natural models
4. Abstract: Design principles
5. Emulate: Nature's strategies
6. Evaluate: Against life's principles
[Link] Spiral (Biomimicry Guild)
Life principles are interconnected so it is the purpose to optimize these strategies to create conditions conductive to life
[10].
A. Stage 1: Identify - The design challenge
Fist stage is to identify design challenges. As discussed in previous section, some of the important issues and
challenges of an institute are:
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1. To design open and semi open spaces to achieve multiple interactions between users as well as buildings
2. User friendly spaces
3. Efficient accesses and connecting corridors
4. Segregation of spaces as per user needs and their convenience
5. To ensure that the framework introduces a sense of place
6. Design in context of architecture
7. Form & scale as per the present & future needs
8. To promote self-sufficiency in places of work, energy production and minimising waste.
9. Any designs should look to provide relevant and productive landscapes as an additional ecosystem service
10. Open & enclosed spaces serve as functional & visual ties
11. Architecture of a campus
12. Efficient accesses and connecting corridors
13. Connectivity between formal or inform activities
14. To provide sustainable transport solutions
15. To ensure that the street patterns segregate pedestrian & vehicular movement
16. To minimise the use of private motor vehicles and promote mass transit, cycling and increase permeability.
17. Built environment shall be climate responsive
18. To minimize the consumption of energy and natural resources
19. To provide links to the ecological areas on the site and in the area surrounding
B. Stage 2: Interpret - Design Brief
The next stage is to interpret design brief or design context of each of the challenges. This will allow some of the
challenges to be grouped together and identify those that can be solved using nature. These are categorized in the below
Table no 1.
TABLE I: DESIGN BRIEF INTERPRETATION
Sr. No. Design Challenges Interpret design brief
1 To design open and semi open spaces to achieve multiple Effective open communication and interaction between
interactions between users as well as buildings different buildings and users
User friendly spaces
Efficient accesses and connecting corridors
Segregation of spaces as per user needs and their convenience
To ensure that the framework introduces a sense of place
2 Design in context of architecture Scale, size, proportion and form of built environment
Form & scale as per the present & future needs
To promote self-sufficiency in places of work, energy
production and minimising waste.
Any designs should look to provide relevant and productive
landscapes as an additional ecosystem service
3 Open & enclosed spaces serve as functional & visual ties Functional and visual ties of buildings, indoor & outdoor
Architecture of a campus spaces
Efficient accesses and connecting corridors
Connectivity between formal or inform activities
4 To provide sustainable transport solutions Overlapping of pedestrian & vehicular movement
To ensure that the street patterns segregate pedestrian &
vehicular movement
To minimise the use of private motor vehicles and promote
mass transit, cycling and increase permeability.
5 Built environment shall be climate responsive Daylight efficiency and climate responsive
To minimize the consumption of energy and natural resources
To provide links to the ecological areas on the site and in the
area surrounding
The 19 challenges have been simplified to 5 challenges that could be biologised.
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C. Stage 3: Discover Natural models
Third stage is to discover natural models which would be suitable for the above 5 challenges. These natural models are
adopted from [Link], an open source library managed by Biomimicry 3.8 [9]. Shortlisted models for the 5
challenges are as follows:
Phyllotactic patterns mean literally the arrangement of leaves. The arrangement of leaves fall into 4 main
categories: spiral, distochous, whorled, and multijugate.
Honeycomb: The honeycomb is a structure that consists of cells with the shape of hexagons. It is strong, stiff
and light in weight. The shape makes efficient use of space.
Termite mound: The shape ranges from somewhat amorphous domes or cones usually covered in grass and/or
woody shrubs, to sculptured hard earth mounds, or a mixture of the two.
Translucent cells: In translucent cell morphology, each cell of the system is aimed to respond to some of its
environmental stimuli by its form and geometry.
Red Porifera or Sponges: Global geometry/form and cellular level present various features in order to live in
marine condition.
Xanthus sponge (porous shell): A micro-marine organism called Radiolaria. It is a unicellular organism with
a silicon pourous shell capable of covering various spaces with different geometries & conditions. Porous
surface can capture good amount of daylight.
Cactus (EchinocactusGrusonii): The combined morphological features hydrostatic & ribbed body help in
reducing thermal heat gain through a combination of self shading and utilizing air flow.
Cactus (EchinocactusGrusonii): The combined morphological features hydrostatic & ribbed body help in
reducing thermal heat gain through a combination of self shading and utilizing air flow.
Namibian desert beetle, Stenocara: The beetle is able to capture moisture from the swift moving fog. Droplets
form on the alternating hydrophilic hydrophobic rough surface of the beetles back and wings and roll down
into its mouth.
The sweet glands of many mammals aid thermoregulation through evaporative cooling. In case of body
overheating, the air scoops on the sides of ants cool them through evaporative cooling process.
Fractal geometry: It is the study of mathematical shapes that display a cascade of never ending, self similar,
meandering detail, as one observes them closely. Leaves, branching in trees, mountain edges, flood levels of a
river, wave patterns, nerve impulses and other such natural forms and formations display this progression of
self similar form. Apart from natures physical form, the way nature changes through time are also fractal.
Emergence & self organisation in ecosystems are the phenomena of novel and unexpected organisation in
complex systems. Emergence appears through new relationships of control and constraint, allowing systems to
become more complex. Ecosystems tend to be made up of distributed and decentralised networks of feedback
loops dependent on relationships between organisms, and between living system and the rest of the
environment, making them rapidly responsive and adaptable to change.
This kind of organisation, based on multiple feedback mechanisms, tends to incorporate high amounts and
transfer rates of information.
Translating this into the built environment implies a system approach to architectural design where
considering the facilitation of relationships of buildings or components is as important as designing the
individual buildings themselves.
These ideas are not yet tested in realized built form.
D. Stage 4: Abstract Design Principles
With the above examples of nature suitable for the design challenges, we can now abstract principles before emulating
them within designs for the architectural design framework. These are as follows:
a. Emergence &self-organization:
Effective open communication and interaction between different buildings and users
Overlapping of pedestrian & vehicular movement
Site planning policies
b. Fractal Geometry:
Site Planning
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Functional and visual ties of buildings, indoor & outdoor spaces.
Scale, size, proportion and form of built environment
Overlapping of pedestrian & vehicular movement
c. Cactus (EchinocactusGrusonii):
Minimize the consumption of energy and natural resources
Water storage
d. Phyllotactic patterns of leaves:
Scale, size, proportion and form of built environment
Movement & connectivity
e. Honeycomb:
Form of built environment
Site Planning
f. Xanthus sponge (porous shell): Radiolaria
Built Form
Daylight efficiency
E. Stage 5: Emulate Natures Strategies
In previous section, various organism and ecosystems are shortlisted and identified among the available examples
for the architectural challenges. This section elaborates the application of these natures strategies into an architectural
design. In this paper, the demonstration model focuses on site planning grid. How to achieve site planning, road
networks, circulation and overall zoning will demonstrate below. In the previous stage abstract design principles, for
site planning we can adopt characteristics of natural patterns like hexagon pattern and fractal geometry principles found
in mathematics and nature.
Fig. 2:The result of co-relation of Nature and self similarity
Figure 02 shows the pattern has been emerged after interlinking hexagonal grid with fractal principles. Center points
of all hexagons are connected in the grasshopper tools and created a self-similarity based geometry. For architectural
design output triangular geometry can be used for the road network and overall hexagonal grid can be used for zoning
and division of spaces.
Fig3: The output and script in Grasshopper software [11]
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Figure 3 shows the algorithm script to create hexagonal grid. This is the initial stage to create desired geometry by
adding and modifying parameters.
Fig4: The overlapping hexagonal grid [12]
Figure 4 shows the algorithm scripting in Grasshopper tool and its output in Rhino3D software. The grid is generated
by considering various parameters.
Fig 6: Grid Pattern and Design Evolution
Figure 3,4 and 5 shows the hexagonal grid generated with the help of generative algorithm. The overall processes have
various outputs in script as per needs. Figure 04 shows the three stages of design evolution. First stage is the generation
of grid for site planning. After generating grid with help of generative algorithm we can apply self similarity or fractal
geometry principles. After connecting all the centers of hexagons, a new triangular grid has been created. So now one
can bi-furcate the usage of grids, like triangular grid would be for road networks. Architectural point of view, this
geometry will help to create hierarchy in road network as per usage. And hexagonal grid would help to design build
forms and accordingly surrounding spaces of buildings. Third stage shows the probable evolution of site plan. Figure 7
& 8 shows the probable outcome with the help of 3D simulation software.
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(a) (b)
Fig7: The final output (a) Top view of site showing road network and buildings (b) 3D Modeling done in 3D Studio Max
VI. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE ENHANCEMENT
This paper is an investigation into the development of design method based on biological principles that are applied
and correlated with computational design. It is important to materialize the architectural output based on application of
biomimicry. It can be concluded that the stated methodological frameworks enable the designer to produce an efficient
architecture in terms of sustainability. But at the same time this approach relies on very specific knowledge, skills and
tools.
The advantage of this approach helps to generate vast possible options required for the various contexts. The
technical implementation of algorithmic growth processes can derive various strategies and can achieve desired results.
It can be concluded that it is easy to deliver biomimicry based design.
The demonstration model which is presented in this paper is still within the context of research and further
exploration is necessary. It is evolved on the basis of certain data provided to the algorithm to materialize the design.
The output can vary as per algorithm if we change the requirements, data and overall scripting method. But we can
consider this biomimicry based design and simulation approach as a medium to achieve sustainability upto certain
limit. The evaluation of the outcome in terms of sustainability is to be explored and analyzed.
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