Participate and share: Poster 
It is hard to think of something more capable of reimagining itself than nature. Over the course of billions of years, nature has acquired unfathomable wisdom. It has only been a few years since we have been listening (the term biomimicry was first used 60 years ago). It has been clear for decades now that we, humans, tip the Earth's balance (Klein, 2009). Who better to teach us how to moderate the use of resources without losing such harmony than nature?
According to Ilieva et al. (2022), biomimicry can be understood as "an interdisciplinary approach to study and transfer principles or mechanisms from nature to solve design challenges…its particular focus on-and promise of- sustainability." So, it is only natural that, in light of how unmeasured our use of the world's resources and space seems, we look for such alternatives and find comfort in returning to the "basic" systems that have been part of their own prototyping and testing for several millennia.
People take up space, and we are undeniably part of an overpopulated planet. This project is bred from the need to rethink physical areas, their purpose, and the materials with which they are built. Its ultimate goal is to propose solutions that will eventually lead to everyone having sustainable, functional, innovative housing that works WITH nature and not against it.
As part of the project, 5th graders had to watch excerpts of what the future was thought to be during the second half of the previous century. Students conducted interviews with their parents asking them to compare and contrast the present they are living with the future they had imagined (Empathize). As part of their Science curriculum, students researched and wrote an essay on biomimicry and its links to sustainability (Define).
Afterward, the students had to choose a space to rethink; it could be anything from a restaurant to their bedroom. They had to consider people with mental and physical disabilities and the biomimicry principles discussed to develop their hand-drawn design (Ideate). They then upgraded their creations to a 3D model using Tinkercad on their tablets to make a realistic representation of their idea (Prototype). From it, they created a model using adobe for sustainability purposes, added details and polished the biomimicry system to make the prototype as functional as possible (Test).
Finally, they collected all the evidence from the project and made a short video explaining the project. The proof of success was the rewarding presentations of the models and videos to the school's community. They got to experience a multidisciplinary approach to a project and were noticeably proud of what they had created. The most wonderful part of the project has been to see students considering sustainability in this project and all of their other endeavors in the school.
The students will share their 3D models and short video on their tablets as part of our presentation. The physical models of the room they created will be displayed on the counter. Viewers will also be able to feel the adobe and take a closer look at it with a small sample that will be displayed. Attendees will be able to hear directly from the students, during their one-on-one interactions, the process they went through to come up with their final product. Each presentation should take about 5 minutes, and they can leave some time for follow-up questions.
Ilieva, L., Ursano, I., Traista, L., Hoffmann, B., & Dahy, H. (2022). Biomimicry as a sustainable design methodology—Introducing the 'Biomimicry for Sustainability' framework. Biomimetics, 7(2), 37. MDPI AG. https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/7/2/37/pdf?version=1649398033
Klein, L. (2009). A phenomenological interpretation of biomimicry and its potential value for sustainable design. B.L.A. Kansas State University. https://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2097/1478/LanceKlein2009.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Nkandu, M. et al. (2018). Biomimicry as an alternative approach to sustainability. Architecture Research 2018, 8(1): 1-11. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Halil-Alibaba/publication/323573055_Biomimicry_as_an_Alternative_Approach_to_Sustainability/links/5a9e65e70f7e9bc35fd01e94/Biomimicry-as-an-Alternative-Approach-to-Sustainability.pdf
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