| Course Name | Designing with Nature: Biomimicry in Architectural Design |
| Code | Semester | Theory (hour/week) | Application/Lab (hour/week) | Local Credits | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH 328 | Fall/Spring | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Prerequisites | None | |||||
| Course Language | English | |||||
| Course Type | Elective | |||||
| Course Level | First Cycle | |||||
| Mode of Delivery | - | |||||
| Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course | ||||||
| Course Coordinator | - | |||||
| Course Lecturer(s) | ||||||
| Assistant(s) | - | |||||
| Course Objectives | In this course, the students will research biomimicry solutions to come up with their own design applications to achieve sustainable and ecological ideas found in nature. Biomimicry solutions will be applied to architectural design process, energy efficiency solutions, structural problem-solving and sustainable building design. |
| Learning Outcomes | The students who succeeded in this course;
|
| Course Description | In the process of design, all ideas, if sustainability is the ultimate goal, need to come from nature. The direction to take from this point on, for all design students, should be able to look back to see all answers given to us by nature, herself, whether it be a quest for energy efficient buildings, or sustainable material use, efficient city planning, or using the Fibonnaci theorem to find the ideal measurements. |
| Related Sustainable Development Goals | |
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| Core Courses | |
| Major Area Courses | X | |
| Supportive Courses | ||
| Media and Managment Skills Courses | ||
| Transferable Skill Courses |
| Week | Subjects | Required Materials |
| 1 | Syllabus overview: introduction, attendance and time keeping. Hand out and discussion. | Introduction Assignment #1 |
| 2 | Nature Awareness: Nature and how we understand the world, the importance of understanding nature's solutions to design problems. The subject of biomimicry is introduced and field applications in architectural design are discussed. | Assignment #2 Nature observation Design idea |
| 3 | Design Awareness: 9 Strategies of Nature's Design Solutions Design and Biomimicry | Assignment #3 Nature observation Design idea |
| 4 | Structural Biomimicry Applications: Awareness: 1. Nature runs on Sunlight 2. Nature uses only the energy it needs | Assignment #4 Nature observation Design idea |
| 5 | Santiago Calatrava A Biomimicry Expert Architect Awareness: 3. Nature fits form to function 4. Nature recycles everything | Assignment #5 Nature observation Design idea |
| 6 | Water and Biomimicry Applications: Awareness: 5. Nature rewards cooperation 6. Nature banks on diversity | Assignment #6 Nature observation Design idea for Midterm project |
| 7 | Thermal Biomimicry Applications: Awareness: 7. Nature demands local expertise 8. Nature curbs excesses from within 9. Nature taps the power of limits | Assignment #7 Nature observation Design idea Midterm project |
| 8 | Midterm Project Review | Assignment #8 |
| 9 | Sustainable Biomimicry Architectural Design Applications Final project idea research | Assignment #9 |
| 10 | Solar & Bioluminescence Biomimicry Applications | Assignment #10 |
| 11 | Biomimicry Debate Olympics Week 1 | 1. Working session |
| 12 | Biomimicry Debate Olympics Week 2 | Team Debates Round 1 |
| 13 | Biomimicry Debate Olympics Week 3 | Team Debates Round 2 |
| 14 | Final project preparation | 1. Working session |
| 15 | Final project preparation | 1. Working session |
| 16 | Term Project Due |
| Course Notes/Textbooks | Biomimicry in Architecture, Michael Pawlyn, RIBA Publishing, 2011 ISBN 9781859463758 |
| Suggested Readings/Materials | Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine M. Benyus. HarperCollins Publishers, 2002 ISBN 9781094025001 The Modulor, Le Corbusier, Birkhauser, 2000 ISBN 9788445502631 Architecture: Form, Space And Order, Francis D. K. Ching, Wiley Publ., 2014 ISBN 9780442017927 Internet Resources: Asknature.org/explore |
| Semester Activities | Number | Weigthing |
| Participation | 1 | 4 |
| Laboratory / Application | 1 | 4 |
| Field Work | 1 | 2 |
| Quizzes / Studio Critiques | ||
| Portfolio | ||
| Homework / Assignments | ||
| Presentation / Jury | ||
| Project | 1 | 30 |
| Seminar / Workshop | ||
| Oral Exam | ||
| Midterm | 2 | 60 |
| Final Exam | ||
| Total |
| Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 5 | 70 |
| Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 1 | 30 |
| Total |
| Semester Activities | Number | Duration (Hours) | Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | 2 | 32 |
| Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | 2 | |
| Study Hours Out of Class | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Field Work | 1 | 16 | |
| Quizzes / Studio Critiques | |||
| Portfolio | |||
| Homework / Assignments | |||
| Presentation / Jury | |||
| Project | 1 | 4 | |
| Seminar / Workshop | |||
| Oral Exam | |||
| Midterms | 2 | 8 | |
| Final Exams | |||
| Total | 110 |
| # | Program Competencies/Outcomes | * Contribution Level | ||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | To be able to offer a professional level of architectural services. | X | ||||
| 2 | To be able to take on responsibility as an individual and as a team member to solve complex problems in the practice of design and construction. | X | ||||
| 3 | To be able to understand methods to collaborate and coordinate with other disciplines in providing project delivery services.
| X | ||||
| 4 | To be able to understand, interpret, and evaluate methods, concepts, and theories in architecture emerging from both research and practice. | X | ||||
| 5 | To be able to develop environmentally and socially responsible architectural strategies at multiple scales. | X | ||||
| 6 | To be able to develop a critical understanding of historical traditions, global culture and diversity in the production of the built environment. | X | ||||
| 7 | To be able to apply theoretical and technical knowledge in construction materials, products, components, and assemblies based on their performance within building systems. | X | ||||
| 8 | To be able to present architectural ideas and proposals in visual, written, and oral form through using contemporary computer-based information and communication technologies and media. | X | ||||
| 9 | To be able to demonstrate a critical evaluation of acquired knowledge and skills to diagnose individual educational needs and direct self-education skills for developing solutions to architectural problems and design execution. | X | ||||
| 10 | To be able to take the initiative for continuous knowledge update and education as well as demonstrate a lifelong learning approach in the field of Architecture. | X | ||||
| 11 | To be able to collect data in the areas of Architecture and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1) | X | ||||
| 12 | To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently. | |||||
| 13 | To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to their field of expertise. | X | ||||
*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest
