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Concept

Concept

Journal of design research and innovation

Biomimicry

Design of water collection structures inspired by succulents

Abstract

Biomimetics has now become a key tool for addressing challenges such as climate change adaptation and biodiversity loss. This project explores the application of biomimicry in regenerative urban design. The main objective is to analyze whether it is possible to create a biomimetic-inspired surface to improve water harvesting from the environment without chemical or molecular interventions. Following the Biomimetic Design Spiral methodology, the water strategies of succulents and their structural characteristics were studied. Based on these principles, 3D prototypes were designed and evaluated in a controlled experiment. The results show that the biomimetic design collected less water than the neutral model, with a difference of 27%. This unexpected finding suggests the need to explore new methodologies to evaluate water harvesting and retention. Despite the variation in results, the research opens new possibilities in the study of succulent-inspired design and its application in water harvesting surfaces.

Samuel Funes Garrido, Olga Cáceres Jijishvili

Concept Magazine Vol. 4 - 2025