Biomimetics 12 Abstract

We are facing increasingly complex and far-reaching environmental challenges. In addition to solving specific problems, designers and engineers are being called upon to consider how their solutions affect the long-term viability of environmental, social and economic systems. Practitioners often lack the skills, experience and knowledge to effectively deal with interlocking issues such as the implications of specific materials and manufacturing processes, how products and services are used, and the impact of final disposal. Research in industrial ecology suggests truly sustainable design "is about designing human ecological-economic systems which fit in with natural ecological systems" [29], to preserve the well being, resiliency and adaptability of both systems. Kay proposes "a new branch of engineering ... (that) will bring together the disciplines of ecology, economics, engineering design, systems theory, and thermodynamics". To deal with these complex issues, practitioners will need tools and methods supporting interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches.

Many students are eager for information relating to environmental issues and sustainability. A number of courses successfully integrate biological and engineering concepts, fostering a more fundamental understanding of both fields. Students seem excited with the freshness of this approach as well as the ability to relate their field of study to current events. Educators could benefit from tools that help them organize and communicate information about natural systems, in a way that is relevant to their specific disciplines.

This paper will describe a project to explore a ‘pattern language’ based on knowledge about ecosystems as well as robust human designs. Alexander [1, 2] developed the concept of ‘pattern languages’ in the late 1970s as a means of capturing and communicating recurrent problems and solutions in architecture. Successful pattern languages provide a framework that structures information so that practitioners can gain a deeper insight into specific problems and develop solutions that 'fit'. By using terminology that is not discipline-specific, pattern languages have the potential to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and simplify the transfer of knowledge between diverse fields, such as biology and engineering. Pattern languages also contain information on how problems and solutions relate to each other at different levels, helping practitioners deal with multiple perspectives and different temporal/spatial scales.