Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France

As a highly interdisciplinary field, architecture is being influenced by many subjects of natural and social sciences. Biology despite being apparently distant from architecture is currently a scientific field blending into design practices, which have evolved and shifted towards a new hybrid framew...

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Main Authors: Natasha Chayaamor-Heil, Louis Vitalis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2021-06-01
Series:Frontiers of Architectural Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263520300704
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author Natasha Chayaamor-Heil
Louis Vitalis
author_facet Natasha Chayaamor-Heil
Louis Vitalis
author_sort Natasha Chayaamor-Heil
collection DOAJ
description As a highly interdisciplinary field, architecture is being influenced by many subjects of natural and social sciences. Biology despite being apparently distant from architecture is currently a scientific field blending into design practices, which have evolved and shifted towards a new hybrid framework. In this article, we present an emerging design field of what we categorize as biomimetic architecture pioneering by six architectural offices in France. We observe the impact of scientific researches on design processes and practices through six case studies led by these offices, which can be seen through the actors who involved in various types of interdisciplinary collaborations, through the competencies of the architect himself, and through new sources of ideas coming from biological sciences and related fields. We propose to use a classification of theoretical uses in modeling practice to better understand the role that biological knowledge plays in architectural design practices. Finally, the result of this analysis shows that the use of biology taking place in a design space has external purposes, which transform it to produce engineering devices or urban schemes rather than architectural projects. It also shows that biology in architectural design induces other kinds of non-biological knowledge, is not strictly theoretical and could be obsolete or approximate. These findings lead to an epistemological discussion concerning the confusion between biological ‘knowledge’ and architectural design ‘know-how’.
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spelling doaj.art-57cf7ed70bea47ad9e53b089b1afd4c62022-12-21T22:27:51ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Frontiers of Architectural Research2095-26352021-06-01102240262Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in FranceNatasha Chayaamor-Heil0Louis Vitalis1Corresponding author.; UMR MAP-MAACC CNRS, National Architecture School of Paris La Villette, Paris, FranceUMR MAP-MAACC CNRS, National Architecture School of Paris La Villette, Paris, FranceAs a highly interdisciplinary field, architecture is being influenced by many subjects of natural and social sciences. Biology despite being apparently distant from architecture is currently a scientific field blending into design practices, which have evolved and shifted towards a new hybrid framework. In this article, we present an emerging design field of what we categorize as biomimetic architecture pioneering by six architectural offices in France. We observe the impact of scientific researches on design processes and practices through six case studies led by these offices, which can be seen through the actors who involved in various types of interdisciplinary collaborations, through the competencies of the architect himself, and through new sources of ideas coming from biological sciences and related fields. We propose to use a classification of theoretical uses in modeling practice to better understand the role that biological knowledge plays in architectural design practices. Finally, the result of this analysis shows that the use of biology taking place in a design space has external purposes, which transform it to produce engineering devices or urban schemes rather than architectural projects. It also shows that biology in architectural design induces other kinds of non-biological knowledge, is not strictly theoretical and could be obsolete or approximate. These findings lead to an epistemological discussion concerning the confusion between biological ‘knowledge’ and architectural design ‘know-how’.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263520300704BiologyBiomimetic architectureArchitectural designHybridizationDesign epistemologyResearch-practice
spellingShingle Natasha Chayaamor-Heil
Louis Vitalis
Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France
Frontiers of Architectural Research
Biology
Biomimetic architecture
Architectural design
Hybridization
Design epistemology
Research-practice
title Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France
title_full Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France
title_fullStr Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France
title_full_unstemmed Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France
title_short Biology and architecture: An ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in France
title_sort biology and architecture an ongoing hybridization of scientific knowledge and design practice by six architectural offices in france
topic Biology
Biomimetic architecture
Architectural design
Hybridization
Design epistemology
Research-practice
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263520300704
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AT louisvitalis biologyandarchitectureanongoinghybridizationofscientificknowledgeanddesignpracticebysixarchitecturalofficesinfrance