Content Analysis of the Existence of Biomimicry Life’s Principles in Green Building Index Malaysia

Abstract

Concerns about climate change and global warming have led many countries to initiate energy rating systems in the planning and development of the built environment. Although useful and novel, this paper contends that these ratings are only remedying and alleviating whatever negative impacts that development creates. Energy ratings are seemingly lacking in attempts to integrate and enhance the physical development of the natural environment. Instead, biomimicry is adiscipline that explores nature and tries to understand its bio-integration for the establishment of sustainable products, processes and systems. This paper postulates that with the integration of Biomimicry – Life’s Principles (BLP) into the Green Building Index (GBI) Malaysia, a higher level of environmental sustainability could be achieved. This paper attempted to explore the presenceand the extent of the presence of BLP in the existing GBI utilizing the content analysis method. This article concludes that although the presence of BLP in the GBI is high, the extent of the presence is low. The paper also recommends the areas of concern that could be improved within the GBI for a more effective rating system.

Biomimicry as an Approach to Create Architectural Resilient Projects

“…To provide sustainable solutions, it is also described as imitating the functional foundation of biological forms, processes, and systems. Therefore, the guiding principle of biomimicry is proposed to be a paradigm shift of imaginative and problem-based learning required for education toward sustainability [6]. For example, Frank Lloyd Wright used mushroom structural principles to create the interior pillars for Johnson Wax's executive offices in Racine, Wisconsin, between 1936 and 1939, as illustrated in Figure (2), and Guggenheim Museum spiral ramp idea was inspired by seashells 1943 [7], as illustrated in Figure By observing how nature resolves issues that we now face, biomimicry design can be used to explore and extract suitable answers and new paths for our built environments.…”

“…In nature, the elephant can move its trunk in any direction. The robotic arm that was constructed at Rice university in the U.S simulates the elephant trunk design, as illustrated in Figure (6). And, in biology influence design approach [13], When biological information affects human design, the collaborative design process initially depends on people being familiar with pertinent biological or ecological research rather than on difficulties with identified human design.…”