A Biomimetic Design Experience in Informal Interior Architecture Education

Abstract

Biomimetic design is the process of creating innovative ideas inspired by nature. This approach adapts processes of natural organisms to solve design problems and guides design in interior architecture, similar to many other disciplines. This study aims to present the process of implementing the biomimetic approach to interior architectural design in an informal education environment and to discuss the outcomes of this experience. In this context, the approach and implementation methods of biomimetic design have been examined and a workshop study called “BIOStructure”, which was intended to integrate these methods into spatial design, has been analysed. This workshop was organized as part of an International Student Triennial in order to experience the approach of biomimetic design as an informal education tool. In the workshop, students were asked to experiment with biomimetic design in either a solution-driven approach or a problem-driven approach. As a result, it was observed that most of the students preferred a solution-driven approach to a problem-driven approach and students in earlier stages of design education tended towards form-oriented abstraction of biological knowledge, whereas students with more design experience tended towards principle-oriented abstraction.