STRUCTURAL EFFICIENCY FOUND IN NATURE

Abstract

As the resources in the world are fast depleting today, there are much well-grounded reasons for architects and engineers to look for ways to achieve a higher structural efficiency in the buildings and structures we construct – using the minimum amount of material to provide the maximum structural performance. In my dissertation, I would like to direct ourselves to learn from the structures found in Nature. In Nature, structures abide to certain fundamental principles that give rise to the high level of structural efficiency we witness. In Nature, the designs of the structures are so streamlined and efficient such that materials are placed at exactly where they are required. If we can uncover the fundamental principles that give rise to this sophisticated level of structural efficiency, and on top of that, innovate in the way we make design decisions – close to how Nature does it, then, perhaps, we could reach a new level of structural efficiency in the buildings and structures we build too.