Presenters:

Amanda Sturgeon, Senior Associate,Busby Perkins + Will, Seattle, WA

Nick Page, Biologist, Rainforest Applied Ecology

Mike Houck, Executive Director, Urban Greenspaces, Portland, OR

Robin Glover, Busby Perkins & Will

Session sponsored by SRG Partnership

This session will be an interactive opportunity to learn how to use nature as a model to solve design problems. A different design approach is necessary to evolve buildings beyond the level of LEED and towards regenerative or restorative buildings. Biomimicry offers a framework for designers to work in an interdisciplinary way to investigate and be inspired by design solutions that exist in nature. We will present an overview of Biomimicry principles and elaborate on how to implement these principles by presenting several case study projects, including the Van Deusen Botanical Garden Nature Center and The Department of Ecology North West Regional office.

The second half of the session will be conducted outside. In order to learn from nature we need to learn how to observe nature. Mike Houck, author of Finding Nature in the City, will lead the group outside on a walking tour and conduct an exercise in nature observation. Participants will leave with a better understanding of using Biomimicry as a process for moving towards the design of restorative buildings.

Presenter Bios 

Amanda Sturgeon 

Amanda Sturgeon is the co-director of the sustainable design initiative for Perkins+Will nationally. Amanda directed the first LEED Platinum project in Washington State. Amanda was a Board member of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council from 2000-2002 and is currently serving on the AIA Seattle board. She has taught sustainable design at the University of Washington and one of her projects was a winner of the Living Building Challenge competition in 2007. She was the winner of the Betterbricks Architect award in 2008. 

Nick Page

Nick is a professional biologist who works on the assessment, restoration, and management of ecosystems in coastal BC. He has a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture (UBC, 1993) and completed a master's of environmental studies at the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability at UBC in 2003. Much of his recent work has focused on biological monitoring, urban watershed assessment and stormwater planning, invasive species, urban environmental design such as green roofs and wetland creation, and plant community ecology.

Mike Houck

Mike Houck is the Executive Director of Urban Greenspaces in Portland he has a B. S. in Zoology and a Masters of Science in Teaching in Biology. Mike has been a leader at the local, regional, national and international levels in urban park and greenspace issues since his founding the Urban Naturalist Program at the Audubon Society of Portland in 1980. He helped found the Coalition for a Livable Future in 1994. Mike is co-editor of the book, Wild in the City, a Guide to Portland's Natural Areas, and produced Wild on the Willamette, Exploring the Lower Willamette River.

Robin Glover

Since joining Busby Perkins+Will in 1999, Robin has worked on a variety of projects. Robin was a key team member on the award-winning Sustainable Condo, a moveable exhibit of leading-edge green building technologies, products, and techniques that showcase comfortable, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly living. Robin coordinated the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability which will be the most innovative and high performance building built in North America. Robin is currently managing the Van Deusen Botanical                                                      Gardens project.