I have already mentioned many of the newly emerging technologies from the field of biomimicry , but the building technologies developing from the simplest of creatures, the sea sponge, deserve particular attention.
The most notable of sponge-inspired buildings is architect Norman Foster’s creation in London, the Swiss Re Tower. The Swiss Re not only uses a unique system of three-way lattice beams much like a sponge’s exoskeleton, but a network of shafts and holes through its many floors replicates the filtration and circulation system sponge’s depend on for survival. This unique ventilation system has allowed the building to run on half the energy costs of a typical building its size.
This is just the beginning. Sea sponges, which make incredibly durable structures out of the most flimsy and flexible of materials, hold unfound potential for influencing our building practices. According to a scientist Joanna Aizenberg at Bell Labs, a sponge is a “textbook lesson in mechanical engineering, offering valuable knowledge that could lead to new concepts in materials science and engineering design.” Efficient construction practices and more durable buildings mean less waste, which means greener building practices
For example, the Euplectella sponge uses a complex lattice of glass beams to create its amazing strength. With spiral-patterned ridges along the outer wall structure where they get too wide, sponges naturally defy a problem designers already acknowledge causes collapse when cylindrical-shaped buildings are too wide. There is said to be seven different levels of structural hierarchy in this sponge. True architectural integrity. The Aizenberg Biomineralization and Biomimetics Lab out of Harvard is now studying this sponge to build highly durable fibers out of glass and organic glue.
Additionally, the Euplectella and other glass sponges are composed of the strongest glasses on Earth, or anywhere else as far as we know. These sponges are now under study in order to discover the science necessary to produce an unbreakable glass.
Who knew a creature most people don’t even consider a creature held the key to revolutionize building practices.
