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Key research themes
1. How can biomimicry principles be systematically integrated into architectural and urban design to create sustainable and regenerative built environments?
This research theme investigates the methods and frameworks for applying biomimetic concepts—ranging from organism-level forms to ecosystem-scale functions—to architectural and urban design, with an emphasis on achieving sustainability, energy efficiency, and regenerative capacities. It matters because the built environment is responsible for substantial global greenhouse gas emissions and resource use, and nature-inspired design offers a pathway to transform these impacts through circular, adaptive, and restorative design strategies.
Key finding: This 2023 review provides a systematic survey of biomimicry definitions, terminology fragmentation, and design methodologies in architecture, revealing the interdisciplinary collaboration needed between biology and design... Read more
Key finding: Through a comparative literature analysis, this paper identifies three distinct biomimetic design approaches—form-based, process-based, and system-based biomimicry—and analyses their respective benefits and limitations,... Read more
Key finding: This 2019 study operationalizes biomimicry at the ecosystem level by mapping design strategies and case studies that emulate how ecosystems produce services such as climate regulation and nutrient cycling. It argues that... Read more
Key finding: This paper advances ecosystem-level biomimicry in urban design by integrating ecosystem service theory and regenerative design. It evaluates case studies illustrating how urban projects can emulate and reconnect with local... Read more
Key finding: This work identifies the broad and novel, yet abstract application of biomimicry in construction sectors, noting gaps in understanding effective implementation. It classifies bio-inspired approaches including biomimicry,... Read more
2. What roles do biophilic urbanism and green infrastructure play in enhancing urban resilience and human well-being?
This theme focuses on integrating nature-based solutions into urban planning and design, exploring how biophilic and ecological principles can improve physical, mental health, and social outcomes, while bolstering cities' resilience against climate change and environmental stresses. It also examines the challenges of implementing biophilic design across scales and aligning ecological restoration with increasing urban density.
Key finding: This 2021 study highlights the reconnection deficit between urban residents and nature, emphasizing evidence-based biophilic design as vital for improving health and sustainability. It analyzes workplace, neighborhood, and... Read more
Key finding: The paper develops a framework marrying biophilic and smart city concepts to underpin urban resilience strategies. It identifies key dimensions and indicators where nature integration and digital technology synergize to... Read more
Key finding: This article addresses the conflict between resource-efficient dense urbanism and ecological city paradigms, proposing an integrative approach using green infrastructure and biophilic urbanism. It introduces urban fabric... Read more
Key finding: This paper articulates the concept of biophilic cities that embed nature intimately into urban systems to improve ecosystem services and human well-being. It argues for integrating engineering solutions with environmental... Read more
Key finding: The authors argue that biophilic urbanism fortifies social and ecological resilience in the face of climate change and other shocks by fostering daily human-nature connections at multiple scales. Drawing from health,... Read more
3. How can emerging paradigms such as biourbanism and eco-cathedric urbanism redefine human-nature relations for future sustainable cities?
This theme centers on conceptual and philosophical shifts towards integrating deep sustainability into urbanism via new paradigms that emphasize living cities as complex organisms, long-term ecological thinking, and participatory human-nature co-evolution. It matters as these approaches propose foundational changes in planning models, governance, and moral frameworks to address planetary boundaries, resilience, and socioecological health comprehensively.
Key finding: Biourbanism treats the city as a living organism studied through integrated systems sciences and life sciences insights, focusing on self-organization, epigenetics, and fractal growth. It promotes morphogenetic urban design... Read more
Key finding: This article proposes the Eco-Cathedric City concept advocating a symbiotic human-nature relationship countering the human-centric urban planning prevalent today. It introduces mechanisms such as (eco-)cathedral thinking for... Read more
Key finding: This conference report underscores the increasing urban population trends and the urgency of developing sustainable cities integrating multiple disciplines. It emphasizes a humanistic ecological perspective aimed at balanced... Read more