A biological system we might consider is a biome ecosystem. The specific type of biome is not necessarily important. Generally, ecosystems are self-sustaining, containing multiple types of organisms that fulfill different roles. All the organisms, whether they know it or not, are linked and carry out some role in keeping the biome alive. Plants provide food for herbivores, which in turn are food for carnivorous animals. When the animals die, insects play a role in assisting the carcasses in decomposition, which adds nutrients to the soil that feed the plants. Every organism has a role to play, and the entire system would suffer if a single organism were to go missing.
In designing buildings, we can learn from ecosystems, specifically when it comes to making sure every part of our design has a larger role to play. This approach can be extremely helpful when considering net zero buildings. In such buildings, typically the goal of using net zero energy means that energy that is used on the site is also produced on the site (or can be accounted for through paying for renewable energy generation offsite). Taking on a full biome ecosystem approach might extend the design thinking process beyond simply energy, to consider water use, and perhaps even building materials! This would naturally direct designers to create a building that uses more local materials and is cognizant of local patterns of rainfall and groundwater. The result would be a more context-aware, self-sustaining, and thus sustainable building.