Improving the Outer Shell of the Form Using the Characteristics of Human Skin

Biomimetics is a novel field of science that takes inspiration from nature and biological organisms to create and design forms. This knowledge can help improve the conditions of a building form. The form is the manifestation of architecture, and the initial insight into a form is figured out by observing its external shell. Therefore, the composition and the type of interactions of a shell with its surrounding forces determine the quality of this important element in construction.

One of the most obvious patterns that have similar features with the outer shell of the building is the human skin, so the structural features of the skin can be used as a source of inspiration in production or improvement of the form’s outer shell. The skin is a vital and the widest living organ of the body. It is one of the most complex and active organs with such capabilities in transforming the human body as an efficient microclimate that can favor the situation of its internal organs and plays an important role in self-repair, energy absorption, and thermal insulation.

In this study, we tried to use the structural features of the skin to provide suitable ideas for improving and upgrading the outer shell of the building form. Applying these capabilities in the structure of a building form would lead to the creation of a smart, usable, and expandable architecture with a favorable geometrical performance that will adapt to the surrounding environmental conditions, including climate, pressure, etc.