Plant Vascular Tissue/Networks - HVAC/Plumbing Circulation
- Circulation and egress are critical systems for building as they determine the manner and efficient at which occupants move through and experience the space. A natural system that parallels building circulatory systems is the vascular system found in trees. The vascular system of trees is composed of a network of tissue, namely the xylem and phloem, which begin at the roots underground before converging into a central vestibule within the trunk which then travels up the height of the tree, diverging off recursively into the individual branches. This vascularly system permits the delivery of water and vital nutrients to all the cells of the tree, while simultaneously allowing waste generated from cellular processes to be collected and expelled. This natural resource delivery and waste transportation system is mirrored in the HVAC and plumbing designs of many buildings which often contain a central artery that acts as the focal spine connected all the individual ducts and pipes.
Cold-Blooded Reptilian Heating - Thermal Mass & Passive Solar Design
- In passive solar designed buildings, thermal mass elements, such as trombe walls or concrete flooring, are strategically placed to absorb solar radiation energy throughout the day to be stored within its mass as heat. This heat is then slowly and continuously radiated back out into the surrounding space, which during nightfall provides interior heating without the need of heating generation. This system of temperature control parallels the strategy implemented by cold-blooded reptiles to maintain internal body heat. As these reptiles lack adequate internal body heating capabilities, they resort to basking in the sun during the day to absorb solar radiation utilize the resulting heat to maintain the necessary body temperature they need for survival.