Beyond biomimicry: What termites can tell us about realizing the living building.

Abstract

Termites and the structures they build have been used as exemplars of biomimetic designs for climate control in buildings, like Zimbabwe's Eastgate Centre, and various other termite-inspired buildings. Remarkably, these designs are based upon an erroneous conception of how termite mounds actually work. In this article, we review recent progress in the structure and function of termite mounds, and outline new biomimetic building designs that could arise from this better understanding. We also suggest that the termite extended organism provides a model to take architecture beyond biomimicry—from buildings that merely imitate life to buildings that are, in a sense, alive.