Architecture Commons^™

Moisture-Harvesting Lizard Skins As An Inspiraton For Performative Building Envelopes In Arid Climates, Aly Ibrahim, Walid Omar, Sherif Ebrahim, Sherif Abdelmohsen

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Research on shape-shifting adaptive architectural skins has recently focused on bio-inspired programmable materials. Only a few studies however examine the microstructure of living organisms, especially in terms of morphological adaptation in harsh climatic conditions. This paper explores the microstructure of moisture-harvesting lizard skins, specifically the Trapelus species of the Agamidae family in North-East Africa, as an inspiration for programmable materials in adaptive building skins in the arid climate of Egypt. The paper investigates the ability to improve the durability and morphological capabilities of programmable materials based on surface formation, utilizing digital fabrication techniques. A series of physical experiments were conducted …