This course examines the ways in which biological organisms achieve complex ‘emergent’ structures and performances from simple components, relating this to an exploration of current architectural design, prototyping and production. The aim is to suggest the possibility of a new solutions for architectural design proceeding from an in-depth analysis of biological systems. It explores the concepts that are driving the implementation of new materials, particularly in ‘smart’ or adaptive structures, and examines these materials for potential contributions to new agendas. The course will also discuss the way in which contemporary engineers regard form, materials and structure not as separate elements, but rather as systems acting on each other in self-organised complex hierarchies.
