War Shelters Inspired by Nature: Design Model for Contingency Troop Housing Based on Biomimetic Principles

Abstract

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military are serving in the Middle East in support of the War on Terrorism. Aside from the danger that soldiers have to face every day, they are challenged by the harsh desert climate conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life. The only means of thermal comfort there is largely governed by Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that are powered by fossil fuels, one of the greatest contributors to global warming. Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best biological ideas and then imitates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems, is the recommended approach to sustainable design. The purpose of this project is to develop a design model that offers comfort and protection for troop shelters based on biomimetic principles. The final design proposal is a synthesis of three important aspects of the research: the recognition of global warming challenges, the confinement of military standards, and the interpretation of nine biomimetic design principles extracted from the study of desert plants and animals. A detailed outline of the biomimetic design principles along with a clear understanding of the different phases of contingency construction formalized the initial context of the new war shelter. The final design example is a burrowed and bermed living space that is sheltered by a modular panelized roof and wall system. Through a combination of building and model simulation and a comprehensive comparative analysis that factors in every numerous variables of design, one can conclude that a low greenhouse gas emission design model for troop shelters that provides comfort and protection can be achieved by using biomimetic principles. The principle of burrowing in particular demonstrated the strongest improvement in both the thermal comfort and protection in a desert contingency environment. Meanwhile, the range and level of improvements in the comfort and protection need to be further supported by scientific and quantitative data. Biomimcry is a relatively new discipline and is open to many different interpretations. Unlike other design approaches, biomimicry is research and scientific driven, which means it is a less subjective and more valid approach to green design solutions. The design example provided is not the ultimate solution for the improvement of war shelters in a contingency environment. It merely serves as an experiment and exploration of the many possibilities that nature can offer to improve the comfort and protection housing in a desert environment throughout the world.Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military are serving in the Middle East in support of the War on Terrorism. Aside from the danger that soldiers have to face every day, they are challenged by the harsh desert climate conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life. The only means of thermal comfort there is largely governed by Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that are powered by fossil fuels, one of the greatest contributors to global warming. Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best biological ideas and then imitates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems, is the recommended approach to sustainable design. The purpose of this project is to develop a design model that offers comfort and protection for troop shelters based on biomimetic principles. The final design proposal is a synthesis of three important aspects of the research: the recognition of global warming challenges, the confinement of military standards, and the interpretation of nine biomimetic design principles extracted from the study of desert plants and animals. A detailed outline of the biomimetic design principles along with a clear understanding of the different phases of contingency construction formalized the initial context of the new war shelter. The final design example is a burrowed and bermed living space that is sheltered by a modular panelized roof and wall system. Through a combination of building and model simulation and a comprehensive comparative analysis that factors in every numerous variables of design, one can conclude that a low greenhouse gas emission design model for troop shelters that provides comfort and protection can be achieved by using biomimetic principles. The principle of burrowing in particular demonstrated the strongest improvement in both the thermal comfort and protection in a desert contingency environment. Meanwhile, the range and level of improvements in the comfort and protection need to be further supported by scientific and quantitative data. Biomimcry is a relatively new discipline and is open to many different interpretations. Unlike other design approaches, biomimicry is research and scientific driven, which means it is a less subjective and more valid approach to green design solutions. The design example provided is not the ultimate solution for the improvement of war shelters in a contingency environment. It merely serves as an experiment and exploration of the many possibilities that nature can offer to improve the comfort and protection housing in a desert environment throughout the world.Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military are serving in the Middle East in support of the War on Terrorism. Aside from the danger that soldiers have to face every day, they are challenged by the harsh desert climate conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life. The only means of thermal comfort there is largely governed by Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that are powered by fossil fuels, one of the greatest contributors to global warming. Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best biological ideas and then imitates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems, is the recommended approach to sustainable design. The purpose of this project is to develop a design model that offers comfort and protection for troop shelters based on biomimetic principles. The final design proposal is a synthesis of three important aspects of the research: the recognition of global warming challenges, the confinement of military standards, and the interpretation of nine biomimetic design principles extracted from the study of desert plants and animals. A detailed outline of the biomimetic design principles along with a clear understanding of the different phases of contingency construction formalized the initial context of the new war shelter. The final design example is a burrowed and bermed living space that is sheltered by a modular panelized roof and wall system. Through a combination of building and model simulation and a comprehensive comparative analysis that factors in every numerous variables of design, one can conclude that a low greenhouse gas emission design model for troop shelters that provides comfort and protection can be achieved by using biomimetic principles. The principle of burrowing in particular demonstrated the strongest improvement in both the thermal comfort and protection in a desert contingency environment. Meanwhile, the range and level of improvements in the comfort and protection need to be further supported by scientific and quantitative data. Biomimcry is a relatively new discipline and is open to many different interpretations. Unlike other design approaches, biomimicry is research and scientific driven, which means it is a less subjective and more valid approach to green design solutions. The design example provided is not the ultimate solution for the improvement of war shelters in a contingency environment. It merely serves as an experiment and exploration of the many possibilities that nature can offer to improve the comfort and protection housing in a desert environment throughout the world.Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military are serving in the Middle East in support of the War on Terrorism. Aside from the danger that soldiers have to face every day, they are challenged by the harsh desert climate conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life. The only means of thermal comfort there is largely governed by Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that are powered by fossil fuels, one of the greatest contributors to global warming. Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best biological ideas and then imitates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems, is the recommended approach to sustainable design. The purpose of this project is to develop a design model that offers comfort and protection for troop shelters based on biomimetic principles. The final design proposal is a synthesis of three important aspects of the research: the recognition of global warming challenges, the confinement of military standards, and the interpretation of nine biomimetic design principles extracted from the study of desert plants and animals. A detailed outline of the biomimetic design principles along with a clear understanding of the different phases of contingency construction formalized the initial context of the new war shelter. The final design example is a burrowed and bermed living space that is sheltered by a modular panelized roof and wall system. Through a combination of building and model simulation and a comprehensive comparative analysis that factors in every numerous variables of design, one can conclude that a low greenhouse gas emission design model for troop shelters that provides comfort and protection can be achieved by using biomimetic principles. The principle of burrowing in particular demonstrated the strongest improvement in both the thermal comfort and protection in a desert contingency environment. Meanwhile, the range and level of improvements in the comfort and protection need to be further supported by scientific and quantitative data. Biomimcry is a relatively new discipline and is open to many different interpretations. Unlike other design approaches, biomimicry is research and scientific driven, which means it is a less subjective and more valid approach to green design solutions. The design example provided is not the ultimate solution for the improvement of war shelters in a contingency environment. It merely serves as an experiment and exploration of the many possibilities that nature can offer to improve the comfort and protection housing in a desert environment throughout the world.Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military are serving in the Middle East in support of the War on Terrorism. Aside from the danger that soldiers have to face every day, they are challenged by the harsh desert climate conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life. The only means of thermal comfort there is largely governed by Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that are powered by fossil fuels, one of the greatest contributors to global warming. Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best biological ideas and then imitates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems, is the recommended approach to sustainable design. The purpose of this project is to develop a design model that offers comfort and protection for troop shelters based on biomimetic principles. The final design proposal is a synthesis of three important aspects of the research: the recognition of global warming challenges, the confinement of military standards, and the interpretation of nine biomimetic design principles extracted from the study of desert plants and animals. A detailed outline of the biomimetic design principles along with a clear understanding of the different phases of contingency construction formalized the initial context of the new war shelter. The final design example is a burrowed and bermed living space that is sheltered by a modular panelized roof and wall system. Through a combination of building and model simulation and a comprehensive comparative analysis that factors in every numerous variables of design, one can conclude that a low greenhouse gas emission design model for troop shelters that provides comfort and protection can be achieved by using biomimetic principles. The principle of burrowing in particular demonstrated the strongest improvement in both the thermal comfort and protection in a desert contingency environment. Meanwhile, the range and level of improvements in the comfort and protection need to be further supported by scientific and quantitative data. Biomimcry is a relatively new discipline and is open to many different interpretations. Unlike other design approaches, biomimicry is research and scientific driven, which means it is a less subjective and more valid approach to green design solutions. The design example provided is not the ultimate solution for the improvement of war shelters in a contingency environment. It merely serves as an experiment and exploration of the many possibilities that nature can offer to improve the comfort and protection housing in a desert environment throughout the world.Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military are serving in the Middle East in support of the War on Terrorism. Aside from the danger that soldiers have to face every day, they are challenged by the harsh desert climate conditions, which greatly affect their quality of life. The only means of thermal comfort there is largely governed by Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that are powered by fossil fuels, one of the greatest contributors to global warming. Biomimicry, a new discipline that studies nature’s best biological ideas and then imitates these forms, processes, systems, and strategies to solve human problems, is the recommended approach to sustainable design. The purpose of this project is to develop a design model that offers comfort and protection for troop shelters based on biomimetic principles. The final design proposal is a synthesis of three important aspects of the research: the recognition of global warming challenges, the confinement of military standards, and the interpretation of nine biomimetic design principles extracted from the study of desert plants and animals. A detailed outline of the biomimetic design principles along with a clear understanding of the different phases of contingency construction formalized the initial context of the new war shelter. The final design example is a burrowed and bermed living space that is sheltered by a modular panelized roof and wall system. Through a combination of building and model simulation and a comprehensive comparative analysis that factors in every numerous variables of design, one can conclude that a low greenhouse gas emission design model for troop shelters that provides comfort and protection can be achieved by using biomimetic principles. The principle of burrowing in particular demonstrated the strongest improvement in both the thermal comfort and protection in a desert contingency environment. Meanwhile, the range and level of improvements in the comfort and protection need to be further supported by scientific and quantitative data. Biomimcry is a relatively new discipline and is open to many different interpretations. Unlike other design approaches, biomimicry is research and scientific driven, which means it is a less subjective and more valid approach to green design solutions. The design example provided is not the ultimate solution for the improvement of war shelters in a contingency environment. It merely serves as an experiment and exploration of the many possibilities that nature can offer to improve the comfort and protection housing in a desert environment throughout the world.