Architecture & Biomimetic: Conceptual Confusion in the field of Bio Architecture

Biomimetic architecture is experiencing some conceptual confusion, as it intersects between the fields of architecture and biological sciences. If we consider biomimetic as a science, its application to architecture imposes the definition of biomimetic architecture as a science as well. This assertion contradicts the nature of architecture, which can be defined as a technology that aims to transform the world rather than explain it. There is no clear relationship between architecture and life sciences. On the other hand, the biomimetic approach tends to redefine the concept of science to avoid the excesses of science. The illustrative models of biomimetic design show the difficulty of observing real biomimetic architecture, as most cases are closer to architecture or urban planning with little in the way of life sciences. This paper aims to describe the conceptual confusion of architecture and science through two movements is called “forces”, which envision the transformations between manufactured scientific objects and given experimental objects. The models used in biology and architecture allow for these transformations in their dual function as tools of knowledge and design, potentially forcing them conceptually into what they are not supposed to be, especially in the field of bio architecture where the design process meets scientific knowledge. Keywords: Biomimetic architecture, architecture, epistemology, design with biology, modeling theory.