Environmental Graffiti

City Hall, London

City Hall This design comes from Norman Foster’s firm Foster and Partners, who believe that the world can be changed by changing the design of the places in which we live. This building is intended to represent and inspire the forward motion of the democratic process in London. It is a mostly non-polluting building, constructed of sustainable materials.

National Space Centre, Leicester

National Space Centre This UK tourist attraction built by architect Nicholas Grimshaw was one of the first examples of bionic architecture to be built in the world. It relies on a design of lightweight steel and includes a rocket tower featuring a space-age skin of ETFE cushions. This design allows for a minimal use of building materials in the creation of a sturdy building.

Turning Torso, Sweden

Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia and was created by Santiago Calatrava, an architect who has taken a lot of flak from people who say that his designs aren’t realistic. There is some concern over the longevity of his designs, despite the fact that they are built in such a way as to feature traits natural to the environment. It is unclear at this point whether or not those fears are warranted. What is clear, is that he’s got a unique design perspective that is featured in buildings (such as this one) located all around the world.

Selfridges Building, Birmingham

Selfridges Building This building by architect Jan Kaplicky features a curvaceous space-age design that epitomizes what the aesthetic goal of bionic architecture is all about. Completed in 2003, it remains one of the leading forward-thinking buildings out there.

Denver International Airport, Denver

Denver International Airport, Denver The tensile fabric roof of this building is designed to imitate the naturally occurring beauty of the Rocky Mountains. As the largest airport in the United States and one poised for expansion, it reflects a mixture of historic and modern architecture.

Urban Cactus, Rotterdam

Urban Cactus is a 19-storey residential building, shaped in a way that is inspired by an irregular pattern of outdoor spaces. Natural sunlight and a unique design on the harbor give it the semblance of bionic architecture and of course its interesting and curvy aesthetics make it an appealing building. However, it’s not 100% green or sustainable, therefore it only gets an honorable mention on most bionic architecture lists.

Jumptown Building, Portland

Jumptown Building aims to become the greenest building in the already-green city of Portland, Oregon. It’s already getting assistance from leading Malaysian architect Ken Yeang. Green features of this design include solar power, sewage and storm water recycling, use of sustainable materials and a unique garden design which turns a rooftop garden into one which cascades down the side of the building.

Treescraper Tower of Tomorrow

Treescraper Tower of Tomorrow Leading architect William McDonough shows his commitment to creativity, intelligent building and designs that feed ecosystems. As the name suggests, this is a skyscraper that has been designed in a way that mimics the growth and change of a tree. A curved, aerodynamic building, it uses minimal construction materials, while making maximum use of the enclosed space. All of the water in the building is recycled in a manner similar to that of how a tree would re-use water and nutrients. Wastewater from sinks flows into the building’s three gardens and the water from the gardens is subsequently re-used in the toilets. It should go without saying that it uses solar electricity and is made completely of recyclable materials.

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