YOUR CHALLENGE:

Engineers design and build new tools and materials to make our lives better. When engineers get stuck, they often look to nature to solve problems. Copying how living things are built or function to invent something brand new is called biomimicry. Velcro was designed after an inventor saw tiny hooks on seed burrs sticking to his dog’s fur. Buildings were designed to stay cool without air conditioning, just like termite mounds. Scientists even looked at lotus leaves, which stay clean because water and dirt slide right off, to invent paint that helps buildings clean themselves! One famous invention that uses biomimicry is the Velcro on your shoes! It was invented by someone inspired by the tiny hooks that grow on the outside of seed burrs. Can plants also be the inspiration for nature-based solutions that make your community cooler, safer, and better for everyone? 

Step into the shoes of an eco-architect and incorporate at least one plant adaptation in a building so it can tackle an environmental issue or threat we have in South Florida. You can reimagine a building that already exists or you can design one that is brand new. The plant adaptation you choose should help reinforce your building against conditions like extreme heat, flooding, sea-level rise, pollution, heavy rain, little vegetation, or any other challenge you see in your community. 

Create a 3D model no larger than 12”x12”x12” of your eco-inspired building using recycled materials. Make sure your building is able to stand upright. In 50-75 words, describe the plant adaptation that inspired your design and and share how incorporating plant adaptations strengthened your building.  Lastly, come up with a name for your new building design that reflects its unique properties.

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CHALLENGE RESOURCES: