Applications of Biomimicry in Architecture, Construction and Civil Engineering

Abstract

Globally, the construction sector is regarded as one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, freshwater usage, resource utilization, and solid waste generation. With a constantly growing population and increased urbanization, this is only predicted to rise. Thus, achieving sustainable development in the construction sector has become an urgent necessity. The adoption of biomimicry in the construction sector is one of the most innovative concepts towards the shift into sustainable practices in construction. However, it has been noticed that the concept of biomimicry is very broad, relatively new, and abstract. Thus, after reviewing previously conducted research on the subject, a noticeable lack of knowledge on the effective implementation of the biomimicry concept was found to be present. Therefore, this research seeks to fill this knowledge gap whereby it aims to explore the development of the biomimicry concept in the field of architecture, building construction, and civil engineering with a systematic review approach of research related to biomimicry in these three fields. This aim is guided by an objective of developing a clear understanding of the application of the biomimicry concept in architecture, building construction, and civil engineering fields. The timeframe considered for this review is between 2000 and 2022. The qualitative exploratory nature of this research focuses on reviewing databases such as Science Direct, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and MDPI, as well as book chapters, editorials, and official websites to extract relevant information using an eligibility criterion of title and abstract review, inclusion of key terms, and detailed review of chosen articles. This study will improve the understanding of the biomimicry concept and how it can be applied in the built environment.