Please add to our community thinking by posting a few inspirational analogies of your own between the systems that you typically find in biological organisms and similar systems that we often (or should) find in buildings.
Think creatively about all the systems and features that allow creatures to survive, thrive, and adapt to their environments!
- respiratory system = HVAC
- HVAC systems in buildings are analogous to how organisms breathe.
- skeletal system = structural elements
- The bones, tendons, and joints of living things are similar to the structural elements of a building because they are the bare structure that holds organisms together.
- endocrine system = signage/wayfinding
- The endocrine system allows cells to communicate with each other. In a building, the designer can communicate to users through a signage system.
- integumentary system = building facade, insulation
- The integumentary system is the outermost layer of the body including skin, hair/fur, etc. It protects organisms from pathogens, temperature, and light. A building facade serves a similar purpose of protecting the building from external conditions. Insulation behind that facade protects the building from temperature.
- immune system = seismic design
- The immune system protects organisms, which reminds me of systems that can be designed to protect buildings for hazards. In places like California, that would mostly be seismic design. In other places, this can be design choices implemented to protect from flooding, hurricanes, etc.