Biomimetic Design - BCI2 - Functions
Be, Contemplate, Design 2 - Observing Nature as a Designer: 10 minutes w/ eyes closed, 10 minutes with eyes open, and 10 minutes imagining.
Location: Cardiff, CA
Conditions: 4-5PM. 80°. Sunny and slightly humid with a very light steady breeze off the ocean. The energy is fun and light at the beach this afternoon.
I am down at the beach taking time to reset after a 10-hour drive to leave the smoke. This designer’s mind is practicing recognizing functions today. With eyes closed, I hear the waves in defined sets and the voices of happy surfers and beach lovers. The energy is positive and fun around me. The waves are small, soft, and playful directing the playful light feeling of everyone on the beach. The sun is warm but not too warm with the cooler light steady air from the ocean. The sand is burning hot - my feet are still recovering from running down the steps - next time flip flops!
I open my eyes to see an osprey perched above me and wait for him to fly off hunting but he also seems happy and fulfilled on his branch. He uses the land for resting and relaxing and the sea for nourishment - I do too - the sea always makes me feel right. He sits for some time and then MOVES effortlessly in flight in a lazy circle out to maybe check out a possible snack opportunity and then back above me before he heads on down the beach following the wind direction North. This has been studied through the ages - his hollow bones and crafted feathers allow him to defy gravity and float. He will also catch his prey and orient it in his talons to align with his body and reduce wind resistance. Back home helicopters and planes fly about with loose hanging resources of fire retardant - or during the non-fire season with large timbers as they work to clear the forest and undue the years of over management. Could fuel loads be lessened if these resources were better aligned with the planes and helicopters hauling them? We burn how much fuel in an effort to fight and manage fires yet that burning of fuel is just adding more CO2 to the atmosphere - it is a destructive feedback loop.
The waves have come from far far away - an energy source unknown to us who hear that energy released as the wave meets the sand. There is so much energy stored in that big ocean in front of me and on the wind around me. It is cycling nutrients as it churns the ocean or carries a seed along on a wave or a breeze. How do we better mimic this system of energy that works to SPREAD NUTRIENTS?
The seaweed at my feet is designed to FLOAT, STAY COOL, and STAY WET. the Bulbous nodes that hold it upright in the water have a small air tip at the top creating the FLOAT. The rest of the sac stores water so when the seaweed is exposed to the sun and sand during low tide it stays cool and wet as the pours of the sac slowly releases water. As I look out at the surfers on their foam boards bobbing about I wonder if we can learn from the seaweed to make a more sustainable surfboard? As the world warms I wonder, can we also take from the seaweed a lesson on staying COOL. Can porous clay pipes recirculate gray water in homes giving off cool moist air or maybe even a new seaweed-inspired material can be created to line houses with and keep them cool?
Some variation of ice plant clings to the cliffs. The ice plant has many important uses and it has been used in the desalination of salt affecting the soil. What can we learn from this little stout plant? How does it FILTER and STORE water and nutrients to survive droughts? Could we use this plant as a model for the desalination of saltwater for human consumption?
(This post is intended for my colleagues at the MASD program. It is an exercise in developing my Biomimetic Design skills with the goal of receiving construtive feedback to further my skills.)