Bio-Inspired Design Approach Analysis: A Case Study of Antoni Gaudi and Santiago Calatrava

Authors: Marzieh Imani

Abstract:

Antoni Gaudi and Santiago Calatrava have reputation for designing bio-inspired creative and technical buildings. Even though they have followed different independent approaches towards design, the source of bio-inspiration seems to be common. Taking a closer look at their projects reveals that Calatrava has been influenced by Gaudi in terms of interpreting nature and applying natural principles into the design process. This research firstly discusses the dialogue between Biomimicry and architecture. This review also explores human/nature discourse during the history by focusing on how nature revealed itself to the fine arts. This is explained by introducing naturalism and romantic style in architecture as the outcome of designers’ inclination towards nature. Reviewing the literature, theoretical background and practical illustration of nature have been included. The most dominant practical aspects of imitating nature are form and function. Nature has been reflected in architectural science resulted in shaping different architectural styles such as organic, green, sustainable, bionic, and biomorphic. By defining a set of common aspects of Gaudi and Calatrava‘s design approach and by considering biomimetic design categories (organism, ecosystem, and behaviour as the main division and form, function, process, material, and construction as subdivisions), Gaudi’s and Calatrava’s project have been analysed. This analysis explores if their design approaches are equivalent or different. Based on this analysis, Gaudi’s architecture can be recognised as biomorphic while Calatrava’s projects are literally biomimetic. Referring to these architects, this review suggests a new set of principles by which a bio-inspired project can be determined either biomorphic or biomimetic.

Keywords: Biomimicry, Calatrava, Gaudi, nature.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1132046

References:

[1] Antoniades, A.C., Poetics of architecture : theory of design / Anthony C. Antoniades. 1990, New York: New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold.
[2] Senosiain Aguilar, J., Bio-architecture / Javier Senosiain. 2003, Oxford: Oxford : Architectural.
[3] Aziz, M.S. and A.Y. El Sherif, Biomimicry as an approach for bio-inspired structure with the aid of computation. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 2016. 55(1): p. 707-714.
[4] El-Zeiny, R.M.A., Biomimicry as a Problem Solving Methodology in Interior Architecture. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012. 50: p. 502-512.
[5] Pawlyn, M., Biomimicry in architecture / Michael Pawlyn. 2011, London: London : Riba Publishing.
[6] Mazzoleni, I., Architecture follows nature : biomimetic principles for innovative design / Ilaria Mazzoleni in collaboration with Shauna Price, ed. S. Price. 2013: Boca Raton : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
[7] Leclerc, I., The Nature of Physical Existence. 2014: Routledge.
[8] Zari, M.P., Biomimetic approaches to architectural design for increased sustainability, in The SB07 NZ Sustainable Building Conference. 2007: Auckland, New Zealand.
[9] Rapoport, A., House form and culture. 1969: Prentice-Hall.
[10] Rapoport, A., Human aspects of urban form: towards a man—environment approach to urban form and design. 2016: Elsevier.
[11] Pickering, M., Auguste Comte an intellectual biography. Volume II / Mary Pickering, ProQuest, Editor. 2009, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
[12] Hendrix, J.S., The Contradiction Between Form and Function in Architecture. 2013: Routledge.
[13] Keyser, B., Ornament as Idea: Indirect Imitation of Nature in the Design Reform Movement. Journal of Design History, 1998. 11(2): p. 127.
[14] Beaulieu, M.-C., The Sea in the Greek Imagination. 2015: University of Pennsylvania Press.
[15] Md Rian, I. and M. Sassone, Tree-inspired dendriforms and fractal-like branching structures in architecture: A brief historical overview. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2014. 3(3): p. 298-323.
[16] Wicher, A., Magnificence and the Sublime in Medieval Aesthetics: Art, Architecture, Literature, Music (Book Review). 2013. p. 219-221.
[17] Link, E., Naturalism and romanticism: The evolution of American literary naturalism in the nineteenth century, G.R. Thompson, Editor. 1995, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
[18] Beers, H.A., A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century. 2005.
[19] Abadía, O.M., M.R. González Morales, and E.P. Pérez, Naturalism’and the interpretation of cave art. World Art, 2012. 2(2): p. 219-240.
[20] Bray, Z., Anthropology with a Paintbrush: Naturalist–Realist Painting as “Thick Description”. Visual Anthropology Review, 2015. 31(2): p. 119-133.
[21] Gasperi, C., On the Language of Nature in Ludwig Tieck’s Der Runenberg. Monatshefte, 2015. 107(3): p. 405-430.
[22] Berry, W., The Poetry of William Carlos Williams of Rutherford. Sewanee Review, 2011. 119(1): p. 30-42.
[23] McCarthy, J.A., Remapping Reality: Chaos and Creativity in Science and Literature (Goethe, Nietzsche, Grass),Volume 97 of Internationale Forschungen Zur Allgemeinen Und Vergleichende. 2006: Rodopi.
[24] Steadman, P., The evolution of designs : biological analogy in architecture and the applied arts / Philip Steadman. Rev. ed.. ed. 2007, New York: New York : Routledge.
[25] Joye, Y., Architectural Lessons From Environmental Psychology: The Case of Biophilic Architecture. Review of General Psychology, 2007. 11(4): p. 305-328.
[26] Lawrence, E.A., The sacred bee, the filthy pig, and the bat out of hell: animal symbolism as cognitive biophilia.The biophilia hypothesis. 1993.
[27] Thompson, D.W., On growth and form, ed. J.T. Bonner. 2014: Cambridge University Press.
[28] La Rocca, F., Design on trial: Critique and metamorphosis of the contemporary object. 2017: FrancoAngeli.
[29] Kellert, S.R., Building for life: Designing and understanding the human-nature connection. 2012: Island press.
[30] Orians, G.H. and J.H. Heerwagen, Evolved responses to landscapes. 2012.
[31] Bradley, J.L., John Ruskin: The Critical Heritage. 2013: Routledge.
[32] Poerschke, U., Architectural theory of modernism : relating functions and forms / Ute Poerschke. 2016: New York, NY : Routledge.
[33] M.R. Bemanian, M. Ansari, and M. Yeganeh. Architecture as an Organism. in Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management. 2012. Istanbul, Turkey.
[34] Eck, C.v., Organicism in nineteenth-century architecture : an inquiry into its theoretical and philosophical background / Carline van Eck. 1994, Amsterdam: Amsterdam : Architectura & Natura Press.
[35] Steinbuch, E.R. and S. Gekeler, Bionic Optimization in Structural Design: Stochastically Based Methods to Improve the Performance of Parts and Assemblies. 2015: Springer.
[36] Gülcan Minsolmaz, Y., Influences of the Living World on Architectural Structures: An Analytical Insight. Uludağ University Journal of The Faculty of Engineering, 2015. 20(1): p. 23-38.
[37] Rossi, S. and M. Pellizzari, Applying the electroforming process to bio-inspired architecture: The case of Castelbuono Estate Winery. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2013. 2(4): p. 435-444.
[38] Ulrich, R.S., The biophilia hypothesis, in Biophilia, biophobia, and natural landscapes. 1993. p. 73-137.
[39] Hey, J., et al., Analogies and metaphors in creative design. International Journal of Engineering Education, 2008. 24(2): p. 283.
[40] Abel, C. and N. Foster, Architecture and Identity. 2012: Taylor & Francis.
[41] Abel, C., Architecture and identity : responses to cultural and technological change Third edition ed. 2017: Abingdon, Oxon,New York, NY : Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.
[42] Ed.CEKIC, N. Architecture, building design: design, materials, equipment, technologies of XXI century. 2013. МЦНИП.
[43] Mumford, M., Form Follows Nature: The Origins of American Organic Architecture. Journal of Architectural Education, 1989. 42(3): p. 26-37.
[44] O’Malley, M.A., Varieties of Living Things: Life at the Intersection of Lineage and Metabolism. 2012: Oxford University Press.
[45] Carey, K.E., Architecture and the motion of life, in College of Arts & Architecture. 2009, Montana State University-Bozeman.
[46] Zarsky, K. Nature and the Hopeful City. 2017 01/07/2017]; Available from: https://biomimicry.org/nature-hopeful-city/.
[47] V. Echarri, C.e. and A. Brebbia(ed), Eco-Architecture VI: Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature. 2016: WIT Press.
[48] Dabbour, L.M., Geometric proportions: The underlying structure of design process for Islamic geometric patterns. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2012. 1(4): p. 380-391.
[49] Crippa, M.A., Antoni Gaudi͡, 1852-1926: From Nature to Architecture. 2003: Taschen.
[50] Cunningham, L.S., J.J. Reich, and L. Fichner-Rathus, Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, Volume 2. 2016: Cengage Learning.
[51] Climent, E.T., Santiago Calatrava: Movement as the Key. Catalònia, 1994(38).
[52] Hallgren, L. Santiago Calatrava. 2014 4/7/2017; Available from: http://www.academia.edu/6435268/Linda_Hallgren_Media_523_Fall_07_Nancy_Cheng_Inspiration_Presentation_Paper.
[53] Roe, J., Antoni Gaudí. 2012: Parkstone International.
[54] Voordt, D.J.M.v.d., Architecture in use : an introduction to the programming, design and evaluation of buildings / Theo JM van der Voordt, Herman BR van Wegen, ed. H.B.R.v. Wegen. 2005: Amsterdam,London : Architectural Press.
[55] van der Voordt, D. and H. van Wegen, Architecture in Use. 2007: Routledge.
[56] Jodidio, P., Architecture D'aujourd'hui. 2002: Taschen.
[57] Brott, S., Calatrava in Athens. The architect as financier and the iconic city. The Journal of Public Space, 2017. 2(1): p. 15-32.
[58] Kamin, B., Terror and Wonder: Architecture in a Tumultuous Age. 2010: University of Chicago Press.
[59] Tola, A. and A. Vokshi, Santiago Calatrava, City of Arts and Science: The Similarity of the Elements. in business, innovation and technology, 2013. 32.
[60] Huerta, S., Structural Design in the Work of Gaudí. Architectural Science Review, 2006. 49(4): p. 324-339.
[61] Moo, J. and F. Lee, Art in Life Lower Secondary. 2009: Pearson Education South Asia.
[62] Charleson, A., Structure as architecture : a sourcebook for architects and structural engineers / Andrew W. Charleson, ed. C. Ebooks. 2005, Oxford: Oxford : Elsevier.
[63] Lapunzina, A., Architecture of Spain. 2005: Greenwood Publishing Group.
[64] Senosiain, J., Bio-Architecture. 2013: Routledge.
[65] Levin, M., Santiago Calatrava: Form, Function, and Structure Follow Gesture. Paragrana, 2014. 23(1): p. 64-67.
[66] Barrallo, J., S. Sánchez-Beitia, and E.A.P. Oñati, The geometry of organic architecture: the works of Eduardo Torroja, Felix Candela and Miguel Fisac, in Bridges. 2011. p. 65-72.
[67] Rattenbury, K., Architects today / Kester Rattenbury, Robert Bevan, Kieran Long, ed. R. Bevan and K. Long. 2004, London: London : Laurence King.
[68] Pantano, M., Reading Gaudí's Great Book of Nature:Reconsidering the Peripheral Reception of Proto-Environmental Architecture. Undergraduate Humanities Forum 2012-2013, 2013. 4.
[69] Lam, A. Sustainable Design Lessons From Gaud. 2009.
[70] Hård, M. and T.J. Misa, Urban machinery : inside modern European cities / edited by Mikael Hård and Thomas J. Misa. 2008, Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge, Mass. : The MIT Press.
[71] Rius, C., Antoni Gaudí: Casa Bellesguard as the Key to His Symbolism. 2014, Edicions Universitat Barcelona.
[72] Palmer, A.L., Historical Dictionary of Architecture. 2016: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
[73] McNeill, D., Urban Change and the European Left: Tales from the New Barcelona. 2005: Routledge.