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Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Rafael Horn

    (Department of Life Cycle Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, 70563 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Hanaa Dahy

    (BioMat Department: Bio-Based Materials and Materials Cycles in Architecture, Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design, University of Stuttgart, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
    Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture (FEDA), Ain Shams University, 11517 Cairo, Egypt)

  • Johannes Gantner

    (Department of Life Cycle Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, 70563 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Olga Speck

    (Plant Biomechanics Group, Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany)

  • Philip Leistner

    (Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics, University of Stuttgart, 79569 Stuttgart, Germany)

Abstract

Technological advancement culminating in a globalized economy has brought tremendous improvements for mankind in manifold respects but comes at the cost of alienation from nature. Human activities nowadays are unsustainable and cause severe damage especially in terms of global depletion and destabilization of natural systems but also harm its own social resources. In this paper, a sustainability assessment method is developed based on a bio-inspired sustainability framework that has been developed in the project TRR 141-C01 “The biomimetic promise.” It is aims at regaining the advantages of societal embeddedness in its environment through biological inspiration. The method is developed using a structured approach including requirement specification, description of the inventory models on bio-inspiration and sustainability assessment, creation of a bio-inspired sustainability assessment model and its validation. It is defined as an accompanying assessment for decision support, using a six-fold two-dimensional structure of social, economic and environmental functions and burdens. The method is applied and validated in 6 projects of TRR 141 and its applicability is exemplarily shown by the assessment of “Bio-flexi”, a biobased and biodegradable natural fiber reinforced plastic composite for indoor cladding applications. Based on the findings of the application the assessment method itself is proposed to be advanced towards an adaptive structure and a consequent outlook is provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Horn & Hanaa Dahy & Johannes Gantner & Olga Speck & Philip Leistner, 2018. "Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:1:p:130-:d:125883
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Olga Speck & Martin Möller & Rainer Grießhammer & Thomas Speck, 2022. "Biological Concepts as a Source of Inspiration for Efficiency, Consistency, and Sufficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    3. José Adolfo Lozano-Miralles & Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez & Carmen Martínez-García & José Ignacio Rojas-Sola, 2018. "Comparative Study on the Environmental Impact of Traditional Clay Bricks Mixed with Organic Waste Using Life Cycle Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.

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