by Md Obidul Haque
Ar. Md. Obidul Haque is a faculty in the DoA at Premier University, Chittagong, Bangladesh and the founder partner of architectural firm Weavers’ Studio. He completed his M.Arch from BUET and B.Arch from AUST and is a member of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB). He is the author of several research publications primarily focused on environmental design issues. As an architect researcher, he is willing to work on contextual and environmental issues for sustainable development and simultaneously, as an academician, leading his students to attain his goal in a broader way to serve society.
“Nature as a source of design inspiration has become appealing for years.”
However, researchers are still exploring how to build a systematic methodology to be translated in general terms where the core objective is to transform biological processes into a functional design, especially in architecture. In some cases, architects imitate or their buildings follow the forms of living organisms by looking. Assuming appearances as a concept without evaluating the inner mechanisms that cannot be considered proper biomimicry, instead named biomorphism, may not be a sustainable concept. Still, biomimicry allows designers to explore solved functions in nature that permit experimentation till the distinctive design solution and innovation. However, the adaptation of biomimicry inspired design is structured and follows a step-by-step process; it gives researchers the freedom to implement their ideas during the progress of the design, so the final output is influenced by a conjunction of the methodology plus other factors, such as site condition or designer’s experience.
This research is an approach to distinguish biomorphism and biomimicry through a morphodesign process that is started by mimicking the shapes and structures of Dolichopteryx long pipes fisheye and ended up to a functional roof configuration for improving daylight condition in a multipurpose hall which does not appear like the shapes and structures of the fisheye. Parametric experiments through the dynamic daylight simulation (DDS) technique using DAYSIM, played a remarkable role to meet the research goal. This is how a biomorphism approach may develop to attain more sustainable architecture by the following biomimicry.
Maximum use of daylight in building design is necessary to reduce the energy demand created by artificial lighting during day hours. Studies show that electrical lighting energy use can be reduced by 25-50% with advanced lighting sources, design strategies and controls; and by 75% with the addition of daylight. Modification of multipurpose hall roof inspired by Biomimicry concept, which is based on the study of nature´s models (designs and processes) as an inspiration to be replicated to solve human problems, could be an effective option for daylighting to ensure energy savings and visual comfort.
This research explores the opportunities to create biomimicry designs of a multipurpose hall roof and analyse the effectiveness of different biomimicry-inspired roof configurations to ensure maximum use of daylight in view of ensuring energy savings and visual comfort of users.
It presents the development of a design method based on biological principles applied and correlated with morphogenetic computational design. Results from dynamic simulation indicate that a roof configuration based on morph design approach (i.e., started with shapes and structures of Dolichopteryx Longpipes fish eye) is the most superior biomimicry inspired configuration among the studied options for multipurpose hall in the educational building in the context of Bangladesh.
The key aim of this study is to explore an architectural design concept for the domestic living environment through the occupants’ household experiences that may influence their mental health and wellbeing.
Dolichopteryx long pipes have an interesting ocular system; the main eyes are supported by a structure called diverticulum that allows capturing light to recognize objects from horizontal and vertically lower directions, in the diverticulum, there is a cell mirror that reflects light aiming to the retina which can be mimicked to apply morpho design concept (i.e. starts with shapes and structures of the organism) to generate effective roof configurations to penetrate useful daylight inside a room. The dynamic daylight simulation (DDS) technique using DAYSIM, was applied in this research. Simulations were performed for 10 hours (8.00 to 18.00) considering the minimum illuminance as 300 lux according to BNBC. Daylight Autonomy (DA), DAmax above 5%, Continuous daylight autonomy (DAcon), Useful Daylight Index (UDI) of specific points were compared to identify the best option.
Figure 3: Concept of replicating the cell mirror on a rooftop (Haque, 2019)
The result from 1st phase shows that among the studied different roof opening angles, 50° angle becomes the superior biomimetic roof configuration which is close to the cell mirror of Dolichopteryx long pipes) which can receive light at a range of 48°. In the 2nd phase, a flat platform with a 50° roof opening angle and 900 mm ceiling to roof depth performed as the best biomimetic roof among the studied experimental parametric configurations.
The use of daylight as the principal light source is an integral part of sustainable building design because daylighting has been recognised as useful energy savings and visual comfort source. Designers often tend to rely on electric lighting due to the lack of daylighting provision in the buildings. Multipurpose halls in academic buildings are primarily used for seminars, conferences, debate competitions, workshops, juries, exhibitions, and similar functions. Individuals in the room rightfully expect to get a clear vision of the event or performance. Preliminary observations show that multipurpose halls located in different universities of Bangladesh function under artificial means of lighting. This fails to provide a stimulating environment for better visual communication and, at the same time, creates pressure on the overall energy demand.
Studies have shown that daylight has a significant impact on human productivity, health and behavior. In most cases, buildings placed in the compact urban context of Bangladesh fail to provide adequate daylighting during the daytime into the multipurpose halls. Artificial lighting becomes necessary in these rooms to run events.
Without sufficient daylight, synthetic lighting usage for a more extended period can cause severe damage to the human body and productivity. Strategies and research frameworks like this study for improving the luminous environment can offer less energy demand in our society and enhance sustainable building construction practice.
Although the adaptation of biomimicry inspired design is structured and follows a step-by-step process, it gives them the freedom to the researchers to implement their ideas at the time of application, so the final result depends on the conjunction of the methodology plus other factors as the site condition or the researcher’s experience. Biomimicry has the capacity to be adapted and developed in conjunction with different ideas. Therefore, it is suggested that the researchers should adjust the principles to their necessities in the design goals and innovation process. It is expected that researchers, architects, and designers will consider nature as a source of inspiration regarding the mechanism, morphogenetic computational design, and process of biomimicry to attain more sustainable design.
Principle Supervisor (M.Arch): Prof Md Ashikur Rahman Joarder, PhD, BUET, Bangladesh
Contact with the author: obidul.line@gmail.com
(The author/authors is/are responsible for the accuracy of all contents)
This Thesis was originally published on: Haque M. O. (2019), BIOMIMICRY INSPIRED DESIGN FOR DAYLIGHTING THROUGH MULTIPURPOSE HALL, Master Thesis, Bangladesh University of Engineering &Technology (BUET), Dahaka.
Available at: http://lib.buet.ac.bd:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/5436
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