Biomimetic Theory and Building Technology: Use of Aboriginal and Scientific Knowledge of Spinifex Grass

There is currently much interest in designing new materials that mimic particular properties of plants. For example, self-cleaning materials have been developed from structures on the leaf surface of sacred lotus, and new composite fibres are being designed from plants to replace metal structures. Biomimetic theory and its application, bio-inspired design, derive concepts from natural systems and appear to have potential to create new types of sustainable materials. The benefits of this approach seem to come from the linking of ethnographic and ecological research with building science to create and test new building technologies. Using spinifex as an example, it has been possible to develop some underlying principles to this approach to advance the methodology.