An Architectural Dialogue Between Light And Form Biomimetic Form-Finding In Response To Daylight

This thesis applies the morphological adaptation to the sunlight of the leaf epidermis and the luminous moss to address daylighting design issues. Under changes in surface tension when varying their cells’ inflation, these organisms’ elastic material drives the transparency fluctuation responsively to sunlight. The technology with the potentials to interpret these biomimetic principles in architecture is pneumatics: insulating, lightweight, inflatable and collapsible. Pneumatic architecture achieving the quality of multi-translucency has surpassed traditional double-skin facade in performance and environmental aspects, including glare and visual balance. The design process considers the influences of locality and materiality on architectural formation through digital daylight simulations and physical prototyping to investigate the possibilities of the new architectural form, in the context of a medium-scale and deep-floor-plan office. As a result, the dialogue between light and form retrofits the performance qualities of a traditional glass facade and improves user experience.