The natural world has taken advantage of millions of years of research and development to create materials, assemblies and systems that work with regional environmental conditions. By taking cues from nature, we can harness this knowledge. Biomimicry is the careful study of biological systems and processes to glean knowledge for product and building design. What can we learn from termite mounds when it comes to building temperature and humidity control? What can the lotus leaf tell us in terms of creating self-cleaning surfaces? Session participants will discover how biomimicry can inform product research and development, and how to become an active observer of the natural world and use those observations to yield smarter design.

Learning objectives:

Participants in this session will be able to:

• Define biomimicry and enumerate its potential benefits to the design process
• Identify products with biomimetic properties

Recommended readings

Biomimicry by Janine Benyus

Registration and more information:

This session will be available December 15, 2008.

This session is $75 for Cascadia members and $90 for nonmembers.

Note: by clicking on this link you will be directed to Cascadia's secure server for registration and payment: D02