Bionic forms are distinguished by their complexity of designs and non-linear shapes.
The emergence of the term.
The concept of “bionics” (from the Greek “bios” - life) appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. In a global sense, it denotes a field of scientific knowledge based on the discovery and use of patterns of construction of natural forms to solve technical, technological and artistic problems based on the analysis of the structure, morphology and vital activity of biological organisms. The name was proposed by the American researcher J. Steele at a 1960 symposium in Daytona - “Living prototypes of artificial systems - the key to new technology” - during which the emergence of a new, unexplored field of knowledge was consolidated. From this moment on, architects, designers, constructors and engineers are faced with a number of tasks aimed at finding new means of shaping.
In the USSR, by the beginning of the 1980s, thanks to the many years of efforts of a team of specialists from the TsNIELAB laboratory, which existed until the beginning of the 1990s, architectural bionics finally emerged as a new direction in architecture. At this time, the final monograph of a large international team of authors and employees of this laboratory, under the general editorship of Yu. S. Lebedev, “Architectural Bionics” (1990) was published.
Thus, the period from the middle of the twentieth century. to the beginning of the 21st century. in architecture was marked by an increase in interest in complex curvilinear forms, a revival, already at a new level, of the concept of “organic architecture,” which has its roots in the late 19th - early 20th centuries, in the work of L. Sullivan and F. L. Wright. They believed that the architectural form, as in living nature, should be functional and develop, as it were, “from the inside out.”
The problem of harmonious symbiosis of the architectural and natural environment.
The technocratic development of recent decades has long subjugated the human way of life. Step by step, humanity has emerged from its ecological niche on the planet. In fact, we have become inhabitants of an artificial “nature” created from glass, concrete and plastic, the compatibility of which with the life of the natural ecosystem is steadily approaching zero. And the more artificial nature takes over living nature, the more obvious the human need for natural harmony becomes. The most likely way to return humanity “to the bosom of nature” and restore balance between the two worlds is the development of modern bionics.
Cypress skyscraper in Shanghai. Architects: Maria Rosa Cervera & Javier Pioz.
Sydney Opera House. Architect: Jørn Utzon.
Rolex Training Center. Architects: Japanese architectural bureau SANAA.
Architectural bionics is an innovative style that takes the best from nature: reliefs, contours, principles of shape formation and interaction with the outside world. All over the world, the ideas of bionic architecture have been successfully implemented by famous architects: the cypress skyscraper in Shanghai, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the NMB Bank board building in the Netherlands, the Rolex training center and the fruit museum in Japan.
Fruit Museum. Architect: Itsuko Hasegawa.
Interior of the fruit museum.
At all times, there has been a continuity of natural forms in architecture created by man. But, in contrast to the formalist approach of past years, when the architect simply copied natural forms, modern bionics is based on the functional and fundamental features of living organisms - the ability for self-regulation, photosynthesis, the principle of harmonious coexistence, etc. Bionic architecture involves the creation of houses that are a natural extension nature that does not come into conflict with it. Further development of bionics involves the development and creation of eco-houses - energy-efficient and comfortable buildings with independent life support systems. The design of such a building includes a complex of engineering equipment. Eco-friendly materials and building structures are used during construction. Ideally, the house of the future is an autonomous, self-sustaining system that fits seamlessly into the natural landscape and exists in harmony with nature. Modern architectural bionics has practically merged with the concept of “eco-architecture” and is directly related to ecology.
Shape formation passing from living nature into architecture.
Every living creature on the planet is a perfect working system adapted to its environment. The viability of such systems is the result of evolution over many millions of years. By revealing the secrets of the structure of living organisms, one can gain new opportunities in the architecture of buildings.
Shape formation in living nature is characterized by plasticity and combinatoriality, a variety of both regular geometric shapes and figures - circles, ovals, rhombuses, cubes, triangles, squares, various kinds of polygons, and an endless variety of extremely complex and amazingly beautiful, lightweight, durable and economical structures created by combining these elements. Such structures reflect the complexity and multi-stage evolution of the development of living organisms.
The main positions for studying nature from the perspective of architectural bionics are biomaterials science and biotectonics.
The object of study in biomaterials science is various amazing properties of natural structures and their “derivatives” - tissues of animal organisms, stems and leaves of plants, spider web threads, pumpkin antennae, butterfly wings, etc.
With biotectonics everything is more complicated. In this area of knowledge, researchers are interested not so much in the properties of natural materials as in the very principles of the existence of living organisms. The main problems of biotectonics are the creation of new structures based on the principles and methods of action of biostructures in living nature, the implementation of adaptation and growth of flexible tectonic systems based on the adaptation and growth of living organisms.
In architectural and construction bionics, much attention is paid to new construction technologies. Thus, in the field of development of efficient and waste-free construction technologies, a promising direction is the creation of layered structures. The idea is borrowed from deep-sea mollusks. Their durable shells consist of alternating hard and soft plates. When a hard plate cracks, the deformation is absorbed by the soft layer and the crack does not go further.
Technologies of architectural bionics.
Let us give an example of several of the most common modern trends in the development of bionic buildings.
1. Energy Efficient House - a building with low energy consumption or zero energy consumption from standard sources (Energy Efficient Building).
2. Passive House (Passive Building) - a structure with passive thermoregulation (cooling and heating by using environmental energy). Such houses use energy-saving building materials and structures and practically do not have a traditional heating system.
3. Bioclimatic Architecture. One of the trends in hi-tech style. The main principle of bioclimatic architecture is harmony with nature: “... so that a bird, flying into the office, does not notice that it is inside it.” Basically, numerous bioclimatic skyscrapers are known, in which, along with barrier systems, multilayer glazing (double skin technology) is actively used to provide sound insulation and microclimate support, coupled with ventilation.
4. Smart House (Intellectual Building) - a building in which, with the help of computer technology and automation, the flow of light and heat in rooms and enclosing structures is optimized.
5. Healthy Building - a building in which, along with the use of energy-saving technologies and alternative energy sources, priority is given to natural building materials (mixtures of earth and clay, wood, stone, sand, etc.) Technologies " healthy" homes include air purification systems from harmful fumes, gases, radioactive substances, etc.
History of the use of architectural forms in architectural practice.
Architectural bionics did not arise by chance. It was the result of previous experience of using in one form or another (most often associative and imitative) certain properties or characteristics of forms of living nature in architecture - for example, in the hypostyle halls of Egyptian temples in Luxor and Karnak, capitals and columns of ancient orders, Gothic interiors cathedrals, etc.
Columns of the hypostyle hall of the Temple of Edfu.
Bionic architecture often includes buildings and architectural complexes that organically fit into the natural landscape, being, as it were, a continuation of it. For example, these can be called the buildings of the modern Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Along with natural building materials, it works with already existing natural elements - mountains, hills, lawns, trees, practically without modifying them. His structures seem to grow from the ground, and sometimes they blend so much with the surrounding nature that they cannot be immediately detected. For example, the thermal baths in Switzerland from the outside seem like just a green area.
Baths in Vals. Architect: Peter Zumthor.
From the point of view of one of the concepts of bionics - the image of an eco-house - even village houses familiar to us can be classified as bionic architecture. They are created from natural materials, and the structures of village settlements have always been harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape (the highest point of the village is the church, the lowland is residential buildings, etc.)
Dome of the Florence Cathedral. Architect: Filippo Brunelleschi.
The emergence of this area in the history of architecture is always associated with some kind of technical innovation: for example, the Italian Renaissance architect F. Brunelleschi took an egg shell as a prototype for constructing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, and Leonardo da Vinci copied the forms of living nature when depicting and designing construction and military buildings. and even aircraft. It is generally accepted that the first who began to study the mechanics of flight of living models “from a bionic position” was Leonardo da Vinci, who tried to develop an aircraft with a flapping wing (ornithopter).
Gallery in Park Güell. Architect: Antonio Gaudi.
Portal of the Passion of Christ of the Cathedral of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia).
Advances in construction technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. gave rise to new technical possibilities for interpreting the architecture of living nature. This is reflected in the works of many architects, among whom, of course, Antoni Gaudi stands out - the pioneer of the widespread use of bioforms in the architecture of the twentieth century. The residential buildings designed and built by A. Gaudi, the Güell Monastery, the famous “Sagrada Familia” (Cathedral of the Holy Family, height 170 m) in Barcelona still remain unsurpassed architectural masterpieces and, at the same time, the most talented and characteristic example of the assimilation of architectural natural forms -- their application and development.
Casa Mila attic floor. Architect: Antonio Gaudi.
Arched vault of the gallery in Casa Batlló. Architect: Antonio Gaudi.
A. Gaudi believed that in architecture, as in nature, there is no place for copying. As a result, his structures are striking in their complexity - you will not find two identical parts in his buildings. Its columns depict palm trunks with bark and leaves, staircase handrails imitate curling plant stems, and vaulted ceilings reproduce tree crowns. In his creations, Gaudi used parabolic arches, hyper-spirals, inclined columns, etc., creating an architecture whose geometry surpassed the architectural fantasies of both architects and engineers. A. Gaudí was one of the first to use the bio-morphological design properties of a spatially curved form, which he embodied in the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid of a small flight of brick stairs. At the same time, Gaudi did not simply copy natural objects, but creatively interpreted natural forms, modifying proportions and large-scale rhythmic characteristics.
Despite the fact that the semantic range of protobionic buildings looks quite impressive and justified, some experts consider architectural bionics only those buildings that do not simply repeat natural forms or are created from natural materials, but contain in their designs the structures and principles of living nature.
Construction of the Eiffel Tower. Engineer: Gustave Eiffel.
Bridge project. Architect: Paolo Soleri.
These scientists would rather call protobionics such buildings as the 300-meter Eiffel Tower by bridge engineer A. G. Eiffel, which exactly replicates the structure of the human tibia, and the bridge project by architect P. Soleri, reminiscent of a rolled-up leaf of cereal and developed on the principle of load redistribution in plant stems, etc.
Cycling track in Krylatskoye. Architects: N. I. Voronina and A. G. Ospennikov.
In Russia, the laws of living nature were also borrowed to create some architectural objects of the “pre-perestroika” period. Examples include the Ostankino radio and television tower in Moscow, Olympic facilities - a cycling track in Krylatskoye, membrane coverings of an indoor stadium on Mira Avenue and a universal sports and entertainment hall in Leningrad, a restaurant in the Primorsky Park of Baku and its connection in the city of Frunze - the Bermet restaurant and etc.
Among the names of modern architects working in the direction of architectural bionics, Norman Foster (http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/ByType/Default.aspx), Santiago Calatrava (http://www.calatrava.com/#/Selected) stand out %20works/Architecture?mode=english), Nicholas Grimshaw (http://grimshaw-architects.com/sectors/), Ken Young (http://www.trhamzahyeang.com/project/main.html), Vincent Calebo ( http://vincent.callebaut.org/projets-groupe-tout.htm l), etc.
If any aspect of bionics interests you, write to us and we will tell you about it in more detail!
Architectural bureau "Inttera".
Architectural and construction bionics studies the laws of formation and structure formation of living tissues, analyzes the structural systems of living organisms on the principle of saving material, energy and ensuring reliability. Neurobionics studies the functioning of the brain and explores the mechanisms of memory. The sensory organs of animals and the internal mechanisms of reaction to the environment in both animals and plants are being intensively studied. A striking example of architectural and construction bionics is a complete analogy of the structure of cereal stems and modern high-rise buildings. The stems of cereal plants are able to withstand heavy loads without breaking under the weight of the inflorescence. If the wind bends them to the ground, they quickly restore their vertical position. What's the secret? It turns out that their structure is similar to the design of modern high-rise factory pipes - one of the latest achievements of engineering. Both structures are hollow inside. The sclerenchyma strands of the plant stem act as longitudinal reinforcement. The internodes (nodes?) of the stems are rings of rigidity. There are oval vertical voids along the walls of the stem. The pipe walls have the same design solution. The role of a spiral reinforcement placed at the outside of the pipe in the stem of cereal plants is played by a thin skin. However, the engineers came to their constructive solution on their own, without “looking” into nature. The identity of the structure was revealed later. In recent years, bionics has confirmed that most human inventions have already been “patented” by nature. Such 20th-century inventions as zippers and Velcro fasteners were made based on the structure of a bird's feather. Feather beards of various orders, equipped with hooks, provide reliable grip. Famous Spanish architects M. R. Cervera and J. Ploz, active adherents of bionics, began researching “dynamic structures” in 1985, and in 1991 they organized the “Society for Supporting Innovation in Architecture.” A group under their leadership, which included architects, engineers, designers, biologists and psychologists, developed the “Vertical Bionic Tower City” project. In 15 years, a tower city should appear in Shanghai (according to scientists, in 20 years the population of Shanghai could reach 30 million people). The tower city is designed for 100 thousand people, the project is based on the “principle of wood construction”.
The city tower will have the shape of a cypress tree with a height of 1228 m with a girth at the base of 133 by 100 m, and at the widest point 166 by 133 m. The tower will have 300 floors, and they will be located in 12 vertical blocks of 80 floors each (12 x 80 = 960; 960!=300). Between the blocks there are screed floors, which act as a supporting structure for each block level. Inside the blocks there are houses of different heights with vertical gardens. This elaborate design is similar to the structure of the branches and entire crown of the cypress tree. The tower will stand on a pile foundation according to the accordion principle, which is not buried, but develops in all directions as it gains height - similar to how the root system of a tree develops. Wind fluctuations on the upper floors are minimized: air easily passes through the tower structure. To cover the tower, a special plastic material will be used that imitates the porous surface of leather. If construction is successful, it is planned to build several more such building-cities.
In architectural and construction bionics, much attention is paid to new construction technologies. For example, in the field of development of efficient and waste-free construction technologies, a promising direction is the creation of layered structures. The idea is borrowed from deep-sea mollusks. Their durable shells, such as those of the widespread abalone, consist of alternating hard and soft plates. When a hard plate cracks, the deformation is absorbed by the soft layer and the crack does not go further. This technology can also be used to cover cars.
In world architectural practice over the past 40 years, the use of the laws of the formation of living nature has acquired a new quality and is called the architectural-bionic process and has become one of the directions of high-tech architecture.
Architectural-bionic practice has given rise to new, unusual architectural forms, practical in functional and utilitarian terms and original in their aesthetic qualities. This could not but arouse interest in them from architects and engineers.
Bionics comes from a Greek word meaning "element of life." It served as the basis for the name of a direction in science that studies the possibility of using certain biological systems and processes in technology.
Architectural bionics is similar to technical bionics; however, it is so specific that it forms an independent branch and solves not only technical, but mainly architectural problems.
Here it is especially necessary to emphasize that the scientific foundations of architectural bionics began to be created in the Soviet Union, especially the work of architects V.V. Zefeld and Yu.S. Lebedeva.
Let us point out the statements of German and Austrian architects Semper, Feldeg, Bauer and others. An interesting article analyzing their views and expressing his point of view on the problem of expediency in architecture - “Darwin’s Theory in the Art of Construction” (1900) - was written by a certain person under the pseudonym "Gr. Yu - P." The author of this article clearly and clearly, with a certain subtlety and acuity, posed the architectural-bionic problem and confirmed the regularity of the action of Darwin's evolutionary theory in architecture.
The most difficult stage in the development of natural forms in architecture was the period from the mid-19th to the beginning of the 20th century. It was affected by the rapid development of biology and unprecedented advances in construction technology compared to the previous period (for example, the invention of reinforced concrete and the beginning of the intensive use of glass and metal structures). When exploring this stage, it is necessary to pay special attention to the emergence of such a significant current in architecture as “organic architecture”. True, the name “organic architecture” does not imply a direct and significant connection between architecture and living nature. The direction of "organic architecture" is the direction of functionalism. One of its main ideologists, Frank Lloyd Wright, spoke about this on television in 1953. answering the questions asked to him: “... organic architecture is architecture “from the inside out”, in which the ideal is integrity. We do not use the word “organic” in the sense of “belonging to the plant or animal world.”
In the name of saving, a person in production activities always uses any opportunities that present themselves. With progress, this requirement becomes more and more acute. For example, after the end of the Second World War, engineers and architects began to take a closer look at living nature. They were attracted, for example, by elastic films of living nature that work well under tension (Otto Frei's experiments in the 40s). Modern science has made it possible to delve deeper into the laws of development of living nature, and technology has made it possible to simulate living structures. As a result, in architecture at the end of the 40s forms appeared that reproduced the structural structures of living nature on a conscious scientific and technical basis. This includes the covering of the large hall of the Turin Exhibition by engineer P.L. Nervi, cable-stayed and tent structures (Otto Frei and others).
In the Soviet Union, bionic ideas received great attention from architects and engineers (MAI, TsNIISK Gosstroy USSR, Len-ZNIIEP, etc.).
The unexpected rapid invasion of computer technology into our lives played a big role in the 90s. The cultural long-term consequences of this “quiet revolution” are still difficult to predict, but the thinking of representatives of the new generation is moving in the direction of clarifying them. Thanks to a computer, it is possible to describe a complex biological object, for example, a human skeleton, in the language of a working drawing familiar to an architect.
To summarize the historical background of architectural bionics, we can say that architectural bionics as a theory and practice developed in the process of evolution of a specific connection between architecture and living nature and that this phenomenon is not accidental, but historically natural.
A specific feature of the modern stage of mastering the forms of living nature in architecture is that now not just the formal aspects of living nature are being mastered, but deep connections are being established between the laws of development of living nature and architecture. At the present stage, architects do not use the external forms of living nature, but only those properties and characteristics of the form that are an expression of the functions of a particular organism, similar to the functional and utilitarian aspects of architecture.
From functions to form and to the laws of shape formation - this is the main path of architectural bionics.
An important point that played a role in the appeal of architects and designers to living nature was the introduction into practice of spatial structural systems that were economically beneficial, but complex in the sense of their mathematical calculation. The prototypes of these systems in many cases were the structural forms of nature. Such forms have begun to be successfully used in various typological areas of architecture, in the construction of long-span and high-rise structures, the creation of rapidly transforming structures, standardization of elements of buildings and structures, etc.
The use of nature's structural systems paved the way for other areas of architectural bionics. First of all, this concerns natural means of “insulation”, which can be used to organize a favorable microclimate for humans in buildings, as well as in cities.
Architectural bionics is intended not only to solve functional issues of architecture, but to open up perspectives in the quest for the synthesis of function and aesthetic form of architecture, to teach architects to think in synthetic forms and systems.
In recent years, bionics has confirmed that most human inventions have already been “patented” by nature. Such 20th-century inventions as zippers and Velcro fasteners were made based on the structure of a bird's feather. Feather beards of various orders, equipped with hooks, provide reliable grip. Famous Spanish architects M.R. Cervera and H. Ploz, active adherents of bionics, began researching “dynamic structures” in 1985, and in 1991 they organized the “Society for Supporting Innovation in Architecture.” A group under their leadership, which included architects, engineers, designers, biologists and psychologists, developed the “Vertical Bionic Tower City” project. In 15 years, a tower city should appear in Shanghai (according to scientists, in 20 years the population of Shanghai could reach 30 million people). The tower city is designed for 100 thousand people, the project is based on the “principle of wood construction”.
The city tower will have the shape of a cypress tree with a height of 1228 m with a girth at the base of 133 by 100 m, and at the widest point 166 by 133 m. The tower will have 300 floors, and they will be located in 12 vertical blocks of 80 floors each (12 x 80 = 960; 960! =300). Between the blocks there are screed floors, which act as a supporting structure for each block level. Inside the blocks there are houses of different heights with vertical gardens. This elaborate design is similar to the structure of the branches and entire crown of the cypress tree. The tower will stand on a pile foundation according to the accordion principle, which is not buried, but develops in all directions as it gains height - similar to how the root system of a tree develops. Wind fluctuations on the upper floors are minimized: air easily passes through the tower structure. To cover the tower, a special plastic material will be used that imitates the porous surface of leather. If construction is successful, it is planned to build several more such building-cities.
In architectural and construction bionics, much attention is paid to new construction technologies. For example, in the field of development of efficient and waste-free construction technologies, a promising direction is the creation of layered structures. The idea is borrowed from deep-sea mollusks. Their durable shells, such as those of the widespread abalone, consist of alternating hard and soft plates. When a hard plate cracks, the deformation is absorbed by the soft layer and the crack does not go further. This technology can also be used to cover cars.
Architectural and construction bionics studies the laws of formation and structure formation of living tissues, analyzes the structural systems of living organisms on the principle of saving material, energy and ensuring reliability. A striking example of architectural and construction bionics is a complete analogy of the structure of cereal stems and modern high-rise buildings. The stems of cereal plants are able to withstand heavy loads without breaking under the weight of the inflorescence. If the wind bends them to the ground, they quickly restore their vertical position. What's the secret? It turns out that their structure is similar to the design of modern high-rise factory pipes - one of the latest achievements of engineering. The identity of the structure was revealed later. In recent years, bionics has confirmed that most human inventions have already been “patented” by nature.
The desire for comfort, for quality, cozy and beautiful housing has been inherent in humanity for a long time. Each of us wants the surrounding space to resonate with our inner world. Now each of us has a chance to build our own ideal home. Maybe it will be a garden house with an attic, like Chekhov’s heroes. Or perhaps a cottage with
American style terrace. The important thing is that it can combine all the elements of an amazing architectural style - "bionic architecture".
We owe the emergence of unusual architectural styles to the geniuses of architecture. Talent is always in search. Evidence of this is found at every step in the form of architectural monuments scattered throughout the world. Over the years, styles replace each other, each of them is unique. Modernity offers a new approach to architecture. One of the new areas - bionics - deserves special attention.
Bionics means "living" in Greek. Having studied the structure and way of life of plants and animals, architects apply the same principles to engineering structures. Until now, there is no unanimous opinion among researchers as to which architects’ work should be classified as part of the “living architecture” movement. And yet, Antonio Gaudi can be considered the founder of bionics, who built the first unique houses back in the nineteenth century. Arrogant and fed up with architectural finds, Europe was delighted with the master’s creations. And bionics received a powerful impetus for development. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the founder of anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner, created a project for an amazing structure called the Goetheanum. The project was brought to life.
The well-known design of the Eiffel Tower (see the post Superstructures: Eiffel Tower (Paris)) is based on the scientific work of the Swiss anatomy professor Hermann Von Meyer. 40 years before the construction of the Parisian engineering miracle, the professor examined the bone structure of the head of the femur in the place where it bends and enters the joint at an angle. And yet for some reason the bone does not break under the weight of the body.
Von Meyer discovered that the head of the bone is covered with an intricate network of miniature bones, thanks to which the load is amazingly redistributed throughout the bone. This network had a strict geometric structure, which the professor documented.
In 1866, Swiss engineer Carl Cullman provided a theoretical basis for von Meyer's discovery, and 20 years later natural load distribution using curved calipers was used by Eiffel.
Now many capitals of the world are decorated with buildings in bionic style. Here and there new “living” structures appear. Holland and Australia, China and Japan, Canada and even Russia can boast of bionic masterpieces.
In architectural and construction bionics, much attention is paid to new construction technologies. Thus, in the field of development of efficient and waste-free construction technologies, a promising direction is the creation of layered structures. The idea is borrowed from deep-sea mollusks. Their durable shells, such as those of the widespread abalone, consist of alternating hard and soft plates. When a hard plate cracks, the deformation is absorbed by the soft layer and the crack does not go further.
Bionics strives to maximize the purpose of each room in the home. No interchangeability of rooms. You need to sleep in the bedroom, cook in the kitchen, and receive guests in the living room. Each room is designed for its assigned role and is equipped for this with the greatest comfort. The house will not have the usual geometric shape. Rather, it will resemble an object of living nature. Soft smooth lines of walls and windows, flowing into each other, will create a feeling of movement. Inside an organic house, the impression of a magical world is created, since this architectural style provides an abundance of light in all rooms. Colored glass is often used, so the light can be of an unusual shade. A simultaneous sense of movement and peace is, perhaps, the main advantage of a house made in an organic style. From different angles of view, the room itself subtly changes.
This is only a small part of what can be told about the style created for a person seeking to reveal his inner world, mental and spiritual potential. Now architecture is taking on this difficult task.
Architectural bionics in the recent past is the understanding of natural forms in building structures, new possibilities for architectural shape-formation.
Architectural bionics today (neobionics) is an attempt to link environmental aspects and high technology with architecture.
Architectural and construction bionics studies the laws of formation and structure formation of living fur coats, analyzes the structural systems of living organisms on the principle of saving material, energy and ensuring reliability. The sensory organs of animals and the internal mechanisms of reaction to the environment in both animals and plants are being intensively studied.
In the distant past, man created many remarkable structures by copying the architectural forms of the plant world. Take a closer look at the light African buildings, and you will see in them the outlines of beehives (Fig. 4), ancient Eastern pagodas resemble slender fir trees with heavily hanging branches (Fig. 5), the marble column of the Parthenon is the personification of a slender tree trunk (Fig. 6), column Egyptian temple is like a lotus stem (Fig. 7), Gothic architecture is the embodiment in a dispassionate stone of constructive logic, harmony and expediency of living things.
Remember the famous Kizhi (Fig. 8). Their domes resemble onions. The church in Fili (Fig. 9), like a living organism, decreases with height and develops from the center to the periphery. All of her seems to tremble, everything in her is subtle and harmonious. St. Basil's Cathedral is the same main trunk, from which branching and crushing of forms goes upward and to the side (Fig. 10).
Amazing similarity of techniques! It’s as if the architects agreed on the commonality of their creative principles. Looking through the pages of the history of construction, one can find many more examples of man copying the architectonics of living nature. However, it must be emphasized once again that the ancient art of construction was similar to the organization of living nature only in form. From nature, architects learned the harmony of proportions, the logical distribution of building volumes, the subordination of the secondary to the main, the correct combination of sizes of parts, constructive truth, but they did not know the main thing - the laws of shape-formation, the secrets of the self-construction of living things.
The internal organization of living things, the constructive side of a leaf, a cereal stem and a tree trunk became the object of study by scientists of later times. These studies laid the foundation for architectural bionics.
A striking example of fur coat architectural bionics is a complete analogy of the structure of cereal stems and modern high-rise buildings. The stems of cereal plants are able to withstand heavy loads without breaking under the weight of the inflorescence. If the wind bends them to the ground, they quickly restore their vertical position. Their structure is similar to the design of modern high-rise factory pipes.
Both structures are hollow inside. The sclerenchyma strands of the plant stem act as longitudinal reinforcement. The internodes (nodes) of the stems are rings of rigidity. There are oval vertical voids along the walls of the stem. The pipe walls have the same design solution. The role of a spiral reinforcement placed on the outside of the pipe, in the stem of cereal plants, is played by a thin skin. However, the engineers came to their constructive solution on their own, without “looking” into nature. The identity of the structure was revealed later.
Bionics confirms that many human inventions have analogues in living nature, for example, zippers and Velcro were invented based on the structure of a bird's feather. Feather beards of various orders, equipped with hooks, provide reliable grip.
We found out that there are several directions in architectural bionics: Cone-shaped structures, Pre-stressed structures, Shells, Spiral-shaped structures, Mesh, lattice and ribbed structures. Now we will look at them.