Creative Solutions With Biomimicry, Permaculture & Sustainable Design
Tuition for this event is just $175, or $75 for full-time students!
Despite the urgency of the environmental crises we are facing, there are real reasons for hope. Some of the best solutions are nature-based designs from the fields of biomimicry, permaculture, and sustainable architecture. Design by Nature brings together some of the nation’s leaders in these fields to explore the creative potential of such promising technologies.
Dayna Baumeister, cofounder of the Biomimicry Guild, and John Todd, leader in the field of ecological water purification, explore the creative process of biomimicry—imitating the shapes, materials, or processes of nature in design. Scientists in a variety of fields are using biomimicry to create windmill blades shaped like whale flippers for greater efficiency; surfaces with the texture of shark skin that prevent bacteria from sticking; and living machines that use plants to purify contaminated water.
Penny Livingston-Stark, permaculture expert at Commonweal Garden in California, explains how the core design principles of permaculture—designing communities and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in nature—can be applied to urban, suburban, and rural environments to create self-sufficient communities.
Bob Berkebile and Laura Lesniewski, from BNIM architects, along with Jason F. McLennan from Cascadia Green Building Council and Dana Levy from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, explore the exploding field of sustainable architecture and construction using the new Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), a natural water reclamation facility and model of sustainable architecture, as an example.
Skip Backus, Omega’s chief executive officer and the visionary behind the OCSL, hosts the event, which is ideal for green builders, architects, biologists, educators, activists, and anyone interested in building a sustainable future.
Faculty Dayna Baumeister, educator, researcher, and design consultant,is cofounder of the Biomimicry Guild, which draws on deep knowledge of biological adaptations to help solve design and engineering challenges in sustainable ways. biomimicryguild.com
Bob Berkebile, founding principal of BNIM Architects, consistently creates new approaches to holistic, integrated community building. He is a board member of the U.S. Green Building Council. bnim.com
Laura Lesniewski is a LEED accredited professional, who often teams up with Elements, a division of BNIM Architects that focuses on sustainable design.
Penny Livingston-Stark, an internationally recognized permaculture teacher and designer, is cocreator of the Ecological Design Program at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture and founding member of the Natural Building Colloquium.
Dana Levy, PhD, is the program manager for Industrial Research at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which creates effective programs to improve the state’s economic competitiveness and energy efficiency. nyserda.org
Jason F. McLennan was named one of the top 40 under 40 most influential individuals in the design and construction field by Building Design & Construction magazine. He is chief executive officer of Cascadia Green Building Council and author of the Living Building Challenge. jasonmclennan.com
John Todd, an internationally recognized biologist, is a global leader in the field of ecological water purification. He is developer of Eco Machines™ and author of The Village as Solar Ecology and Tomorrow Is Our Permanent Address. toddecological.com
Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Inc. is qualified as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible, as allowed by the law.
