First it starts
with an idea.
The primary focus of Biomimicry Frontiers is sustainability consulting and strategic planning. We work with landowners, businesses, and entrepreneurs to create award- winning, resilient solutions through the application of biomimicry, biophilia, and ecological engineering.
Benefits of Working with Biomimicry Frontiers
Corporate Clients
Leading innovation
Increased creativity
Resilient strategies for surviving change
Better business and organizational behaviour
Building a team that is aligned with today’s challenges
An adventure based on a new way of viewing the world
Landowners | Communities
Build in harmony with land trajectory and decrease energy use
Learn the hidden assets of your area to save money
Create circular economies to reduce wastes
Design healthier spaces based on the science of biophilia
Save money by leveraging ecological engineering services
Create a legacy based on a better way of doing things
What People Are Saying
“WOW! I am totally inspired by the prospect of learning from nature and applying that knowledge to our future products and development so we can have less impact on the earth. Thank you!
”
“Jamie demonstrates the qualities of a lifelong learner and his influence as a teacher encourages his student’s inquiries, enabling their creative pursuits both inside and outside of the classroom.”
“Things I have designed in this class would have never perviously crossed my mind and I know that I can take what Jamie has taught and apply it in my future as a designer.”
“Having team taught with Jamie a number of years ago, I am familiar with his “incredible” capacity to connect with and stimulate his students.”
THE PROCESS
Stage 1.
FIND THE EMERGENT TRAJECTORY OF THE LAND.
Stage 2.
FIND ECOLOGICAL ASSETS THAT CAN BE USED AND REPLICATED.
Stage 3.
USE LOCAL ORGANISMS TO REFRAME OUR CHALLENGES.
Stage 4.
CREATE DESIGN FICTION SCENARIOS FOR STRATEGIC FORESIGHT.
Stage 5.
INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE INSPIRED BY NATURE.
An in-depth look…
STAGE 1
A “LIVING STORY” SITE ASSESSMENT
We help you create a “place-based” design. The first phase of our process is to understand the socio-ecological system (SES), the full potential of the property, and what it is going to do. Instead of using energy to force the land to do something, we learn its natural trajectory through our site assessment. This improves the design’s efficiency and long-term costs. In Vietnam, for example, we helped architects navigate the design of a 200-ha land development on a river delta – assessing the many ecozones and providing strategies for how to passively integrate into the dynamic nature of those zones.
STAGE 2
ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
We help you identify and unlock the natural hidden assets of your building or site. We measure existing ecological services and integrate those into the design to reduce engineering costs or we find creative ways to ensure that your design replaces ecological services such as rain retention, storm management, noise reduction, CO2sequestering, and air purification to match the ecological performance of the site prior to construction.
STAGE 3
REFRAMING CHALLENGES THROUGH A BIOMIMETIC LENS
We use “bio-data sheets” to help you find creative and sustainable strategies to any design challenge. We take any design problem (e.g. cooling, fluid flow, carbon sequestration) and abstract key ideas from nature to disrupt conventional thinking.
STAGE 4
DESIGN FICTION AND SCENARIO PLANNING
To better understand a client’s needs, we provide a unique engagement strategy that includes design fiction and scenario planning. Design fiction is the development of believable ideas that may not (yet) be possible but that provokes a conversation of what could (should) be possible. Scenario analysis allows us to better understand the barriers and opportunities for a client. By combining these strategies, we get a deeper understanding of the desirability, technical feasibility, and financial viability of multiple ideas and thus, find more efficient ways to move forward in the design process. We use this approach at multiple scales - e.g. ecosystems, masterplans, buildings and, homes.
STAGE 5
BIO-INSPIRED DESIGNS
We leverage our knowledge of natural principles and our catalogue of biomimicry technologies to integrate the best bio-inspired designs into your project.