Nature’s Inspiration: Biomimicry and Biophilia

as a Powerful Business Tool

Bill Maclay, AIA, LEED AP, Maclay Architects

A presentation given at VBSR’s 24th Annual Spring Conference

Examples of Biophilic Workplaces in Vermont

Derivative by Maclay Architects from Fasaxc / CC BY-SA 3.0

View the talk on YouTube

http://youtu.be/a4ChILGL89w

Derivative by Maclay Architects from Fasaxc / CC BY-SA 3.0

Nature’s Inspiration Biomimicry and Biophilia as a Powerful Business Tool

VBSR’s 24th Annual Spring Conference

Stephen Kellert – Introduction and Essential Principles

Bill Maclay – Vermont biophilic workplace examples

Sarah-Lee Terrat –Integration of natural themes

Michael Dupee – Applying biomimicry in businesses

May 14th, 2014

The Workplace as an Ecosystem?

Bill Maclay, AIA, LEED AP

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. -Winston Churchill

Photo by Jim Westphalen

Photo by Carolyn Bates, www.carolynbates.com

Photo by Jim Westphalen

We are not walking ON this earth, We are EARTH that walks.

Derivative by Maclay Architects from Andreas Lederer / CC BY 2.0

What is Work? How might work evolve?

Public Domain

Pulic Domain

Charles R. Knight / Public Domain

Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Viktor Vasnetsov / Public Domain

Are we inspired by the 20th century workspace?

Public Domain Public Domain

What might “earth walking” design look like? Survival / Health / Beauty

Public domain

Photo by Pascal Reusch / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Photo by Miguel Vieira / CC BY 2.0

Photo by Martin St-Amant / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Photo by Leonidtsvetkov / CC BY-SA 2.5

Image by Clark Wissler / Public Domain

image by Dmitry Avdeev / CC BY-SA 3.0

Adapted from diagram by the Pearce Partnership and The Urgency of Change by Eugene Tsui

Humans “Walking in” Nature (Biophilia, Biomimicry, Living Buildings)

Safety Survival /Health Instinct

Belonging Community Emotion

Learning Adaptation / Evolution Reason

Photo by John Fowler / CC BY-SA 2.0

Survival/ Health/ Beauty

Pedro Szekely / CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo by Steve Cadman / CC BY-SA 2.0

Timothy A. Price and Nichole I CC BY-SA 3.0

Public Domain

Photo modified by Edfu6 from photo by Rémih / CC BY-SA 3.0

Belonging and Community

Photo by John Atherton / CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo by Pelayo2 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo by Canoe Island French Camp / CC BY-SA 3.0

Learning, Adaptation, and Evolution

Image by digitalbob8 / CC BY 2.0

Public Domain

Photo by Gary Peeples USFWS / CC BY 2.0

Design Within Nature • Whole Systems

• Organisms / ecosystems

• Parts

• Senses (external)

• Organs (internal)

• Details

• Cells, face, dimension

The Background for the Workplace as an organism in an ecosystem

Moods

Safety

Coordination of Action

Beauty

Inspiration

Belonging

Caring

Learning Innovation

Workplace by Design: Mapping the High-Performance Workspace by Franklin Becker and Fritz Steele

Whole Systems/ Organism / Ecosystems

Organizational Ecology

HEART

NEIGHBORHOODS

COMMON MEETING/PROJECT SPACE

PRIVATE MEETING

SPACE street street

PRIVATE MEETING

SPACE

The Seeds of Design: An emotional and community core

The evolution of an ecosystem

The pieces and places

Spaces for Dialogue and Interaction

Eating as a Place for Community

Niches for quiet or more reflective conversation

NRG Systems

The heart connecting to the entire workplace

View towards fireplace & hearth from café

Warehouse Connection

Central Heart

Street & Office Connection

Extension into landscape and landscape to building

Entry connections through to landscape

Connection to light and views

VEIC – A community ecosystem

Places of Exchange

Meeting and work connected to light and views

Resource Systems Group

Light, gathering, and food at the center

Nature in details

Light, air, and connection to nature

Transparent ecological treatment of waste connecting to the cycles of nature

Nature and gathering at the “beach”

Nature engaging the inside with places to sit

Nature themes in the floor and use of wood

Reuse of natural materials

Treating water with care

Library, Light and Wind Goddess

Earth, Air, and Water theme in the floor

Additional Resources: for more information visit our site

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and check out our up-coming book

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zero-book

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