Category: Biology
-
Bio-inspired Design
The latest issue of Zygote Quarterly, an online journal with a focus covers Bio-inspired design, and offers another opportunity to explore this topic (and the back issues as well). A really beautifully illustrated online magazine, ZG is worth delving into in depth, but also sitting back and and in this case, getting into a bit…
-
Ecology & Landscape Architecture
A great post on the The Dirt from a couple of months back delves into a topic near and dear to my thoughts on landscape architecture and urbanism – particularly how do we blend science and design in meaningful ways. The article “Teaching Ecological Restoration (Not Restoration Ecology) includes the new Temple University concentration in…
-
A Bit on Biomimicry
Since reading Janine Benyus’ book Biomimicry back in 1997, I’ve been simultaneously fascinated and frustrated by the conceptual positioning and posturing of the proponents of biomimicry. Don’t get me wrong, i think the idea of biomimicry has much potential in design, particularly product invention, industrial design, and architecture. What i have a hard time wrapping…
-
Moon Gardens
Spaced based gardening? As a test of the harshest conditions for supporting life, NASA is planning on experiments to grow cress, turnips and basil on the moon. The challenge – a temperature differential of +150° F on the sunny side and -150° F on the dark side of the moon. Via NPR, quoting NASA plant…
-
Principles of Ecological Landscape Design
I’ve been busy reading through the new book ‘Principles of Ecological Landscape Design‘, an interesting addition to the growing literature blending science and design in a practical sense. Author Travis Beck is a landscape architect and currently the Landscape and Gardens Project Manager at the New York Botanical Garden, and he has used his horticultural…
-
(RE)Building Coastal Dunes
The goal to stabilize coastal dunes impacted by development is not a new endeavor, but has been made visible recently with the recent impact of Superstorm Sandy on the Eastern Seaboard. The dunes are vital to the overall integrity of coastal zones, elimination of vegetation is often the result of development and other disturbances, and…
-
Cycles of Nature
An interesting post from Robert Krulwich at NPR that discusses the concept of an innate/ingrained cycle of life and death that governs many living creatures. The post ‘Nature Has A Formula That Tells Us When It’s Time To Die‘ discusses the work of physicist Geoffrey West: Everything alive will eventually die, we know that, but…