A Methodology for Computational Architectural Design
Based on Biological Principles

Salma El Ahmar1, Antonio Fioravanti2, Mohamed Hanafi3
1,2 Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, 3Alexandria University, Egypt
[email protected],, [email protected], [email protected]

Biomimicry, where nature is emulated as a basis for design, is a growing area of research in the fields of architecture and engineering. The widespread and practical application of biomimicry as a design approach remains however largely unrealized. A growing body of international research identifies various obstacles to the employment of biomimicry as an architectural design method.

One barrier of particular note is the lack of a clear definition and methodology of the various approaches to biomimicry that designers can initially employ. This paper by Salma El Ahmar, Antonio Fioravanti and Mohamed Hanafi, attempts to link biological principles with computational design in order to present a design methodology that aids interested architects within the preliminary design phase.