I guess I should reply after Emma's introduction!  Julian's questions are
important - what do you want to measure/make?  Much of what is formally
identified with biomimetics is indeed at the scale of tissue-organ-organism,
however there are closely related fields such as ecodesign which are
implicitly 'design based on observation of nature' - this can of course be
at any scale from atom-cosmos, although much of this work is at the scale of
ecosystem.  It is here that your greenhouse, if engieered as an ecosystem,
may provide useful inspiration especially with regards to sustainable
design.  So, if 'what do you want to make?' is about sustainability, then
the ecosystem (and its inhabitants, and their bits) can suggest ways of
cleaning air and water, producing biomass, decomposing/recycling, providing
shelter, forming structures, stabilising and creating soils, altering
microclimate etcetc - all in ways which have a net positive effect on the
environment. Ideally of course these functions would be integrated with the
building.



John-Paul Frazer
m. +44 (0)785 496 2776
h. +44 (0)208 977 4947
EXERGY DESIGN LTD




>From: J F V Vincent <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Engineers and biologists mechanical design list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Faculty of Biomimetics - Glasgow University
>Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:14:55 +0000
>
>I feel you've described a biological lab, but not one for biomimetics.
>What do
>you want to measure?  What do you want to make?
>My general feeling is that you need a relatively small number of specimens
>to
>establish a principle or function which you wish to mimic at whatever
>level.
>So you need lab and equipment for measurement and manufacture, which tends
>to
>be larger than the garden bit.  I think that I would do a quick grass-roots
>survey and ask people, who actually make biomimetic thingies, what
>proportion
>of space is given over to the biology and what proportion to the
>engineering.
>Frequently you can grow or harvest what you want from somewhere and keep
>the
>bits in the 'fridge.  The degree of change on storage can be relatively
>small,
>so long as you don't let the biological object dry out.  And there's lots
>of
>info on conditions for storage and preservation.
>But perhaps we need the garden bit to improve our creativity!  And I agree
>about
>the observations on using animals.  Plants are safer and easier (our safety
>officer went ballistic on seeing a dead locust in a poly bag in the
>freezer.
>I'm considering dropping some particularly nasty plant bits in front of him
>and
>seeing what he does.
>
>Julian Vincent
>
>Quoting Gideon Purser <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> > Dear all,
> >
> > I posted here a while back as I am a fifth year Architecture Diploma
>student
> > at Glasgow School of Art designing a new faculty of Biomimetics for
>Glasgow
> > University.  The project has been progressing well and I have come to a
> > point where a learned opinion (and opinions) would be most useful.
> >
> > Part of the concept is a large Glasshouse, or ecoloigcal garden with
> > facilities for growing all manner of plant life, and ponds for aquatic
>life.
> >  This is a very large green space that forms the focus or heart of the
>idea,
> > with teaching rooms and laboratories opening into and benefiting from
>this
> > tranquil space.  There is also a public aspect to the project - they can
> > visit this botanic garden and also a small exhibition area where they
>could
> > learn more about the field and the latest advances.
> >
> > My question is to the feasibility of this idea.  In an ideal situation,
>for
> > yourselves as Biomimeticists, would such a facility be of use?  My
>reasoning
> > was that as such a large proporion of biomimetic research involves plant
>and
> > pond life a large space where specimens could be grown harvested and
>studied
> > would be useful as well as architecturally innovative.  I also reasoned
>that
> > it would be unfeasible to provide such a facility for keeping animals as
>it
> > is generally just a small part of the creature that is required, rather
>than
> > the whole thing!
> >
> > I would like to post scans of the drawings to give you a rough idea of
>the
> > scheme but im not entirely sure how..I am posting this via the jiscmail
> > site.
> >
> > Any feedback on this conecpt would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Many thanks,
> >
> > Gideon Purser
> >
>
>
>--
>Julian FV Vincent                            [log in to unmask]
>Professor of Biomimetics                        office 01225 386596
>Centre for Biomimetic & Natural Technologies    mobile 07941 933901
>Dept of Mechanical Engineering                  fax    01225 386928
>The University
>BATH  BA2  7AY
>
>http://www.bath.ac.uk/Departments/Eng/biomimetics/
>
>I hate quotations.  Tell me what you know.  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)