Biomimicry in architecture does not prescribe form, nor does it strive for literal resemblance. Rather, the goal is to develop architectural solutions that execute strategies observed in nature. It is not about form for form's sake, nor is it about copying shapes; instead, it seeks a deeper reasoning behind those forms. Indeed, it goes far beyond merely drawing inspiration from shapes. It examines context, systems, and interrelations, and the true beauty of biomimicry lies in these connections. Architectural creation remains free, as it is guided by a design principle—the strategy of how nature achieves the performance a project requires for a specific demand. It is a process of co-creation between biology and architecture, making it truly transdisciplinary.
We spoke with biologist Alessandra Araujo to bridge the gap between nature and architecture through the practice of biomimicry. Thinking about biomimicry applied to architecture is highly intuitive. In nature, it is easy to find answers to the challenges of architectural creation. After all, human-built environments share the need to connect, protect, isolate, aggregate, foster encounters, and provide spaces for exchange or quiet. In nature, various organisms and their systems perform these exact functions. Araujo noted that, in a book on urban planning, Le Corbusier wrote: “the term biology is eminently suited to architecture and urban planning: biology, the qualities of a living architecture and urbanism. Biology that generates plans and building sections, coordinates volumes, responds to functions; biology that endows circulation with flexibility and harmony. Life develops from the inside out; it blossoms open to the light and offered to space.”
The firm Natureza Urbana uses the natural environment as its primary workspace, at times structuring projects that aim to draw the public to experience some of Brazil's most stunning natural areas—such as the Aparados da Serra and Iguaçu National Parks—and at others reinforcing the presence of nature within urban environments, as seen in recent projects developed in Poços de Caldas and São Paulo.
