The way I see it, there are two kinds of “nature-inspired” design, or biomimicry. One is an overt, direct translation, and the other is more subtle and abstract.
Direct translations could be the ones more obvious, more visually inspiration-heavy. Examples could be honeycomb structure used for roofs/canopies.
Cloud Canopy @ Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia https://www.duluxprotectivecoatings.com.au/projects/commercial-construction/cloud-canopy-federation-square/
However, buildings may also mimic nature conceptually, and not just visually. For example, birds have hollow bones, allowing them to be lightweight and fly. While a building wouldn’t fly, it would still need to be lightweight for seismic resistance. Thus, hollow-core, pre-fabricated concrete slabs have become an increasingly popular building material.
The nautilus shell has been used to derive the golden ratio, popular in the Greek and Roman styles of architecture.
The Parthenon, Athens, Greece
Another example of a building mimicking animal behavior is the concept of brise soleil, taught in architecture school. Brise soleil directly translates to ‘breeze sun’, which is a facade style used by French Brutalist architect Le Corbusier. Corbusier worked extensively in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. The place experiences extreme weathers, and Corbusier saw an opportunity to adapt human behavior into the building. Just as humans wear a jacket when it gets cold, or mountain dogs grow extra layers of fur during the winter, Corbusier’s buildings had an external, double layer of facade. The facade had fenestrations oriented such that there is ample ventilation, without the need for direct sun exposure. This is a recurring theme in many of Corbusier’s buildings.
Palace of Assembly, Chandigarh, India
Another very popular example is the Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The facade responds to the sun, much like the sunflower.
Al Bahr Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE