Redesign of the integration of building energy from metabolisms of animal: the RIMA project

ABSTRACT Buildings are a very special kind of machine. In terms of hygrothermal conditioning, it can be said that they switch on and off to maintain a regular temperature in relationship with the activities carried out inside of them. It is a strategy very similar to that developed by the ‘warm blooded’ animals, which maintain their temperature with a high metabolism rate. There are numerous passive strategies in architecture that allow to have an effective control over the indoor conditions in order to maintain the levels of comfort needed for human habitability with a lower energy consumption. In the same way, animals have several methods for thermal regulation. Some of them are the rete mirabile structure in tuna, the regulation of the temperature in a bee hive or the control of the gases inside a silkworm cocoon. With these precedent ideas, the researchers will explain a project funded by the Spanish Economics and Competitiveness Ministry. The project tries to explore new design strategies for the energy and building services systems in buildings from biomimicry concepts. The main source for this research will be a thorough analysis of the ‘cold blooded’ animals’ metabolisms, although other temperature control methods of other living beings will be taken into consideration. The project proposal is to create a new way of thinking how energy and building services are integrated and designed in a building, taking into consideration the knowledge imported from a different area of knowledge. Therefore, the project proposes a reassessment of the paradigm established of the methodology used for design the energy systems in buildings, with an approximate technical view from other areas of knowledge.