Building Performance Workflow for Bio-Inspired Enclosures

Bio-inspirations in the literature of architecture have been studied as form findings and material explorations; however, there is a gap in exploring a method to simplify thermal and daylighting inspiration from nature as assembled building enclosures. This article explores bio-inspired enclosures as a source of innovation for climate adaptations based on their closed-loop systems. We employed a simulation-based methodology to translate bio-inspired geometries into window-to-wall ratios to evaluate building performances. Case studies and their daylight and energy performance results provide a benchmark assessment for the EUI, DA, and DGP. The EUI remains without a significant difference, as it is mainly related to the space volume and technical specifications, while the comparison between the DA among the three groups of studied surfaces indicates the highest DA for minimal surfaces. This article explored energy and daylight outcomes for minimal and tessellated surfaces, in addition to a method of situating natural inspiration in building enclosure designs for a warming climate.