“build buildings like trees and cities like forests”
Ah, the dance of the cherry trees. Few things in nature are as lovely as the pink clouds of cherry blossoms. A wonderful way to welcome Spring.
The loveliness is perhaps even more lovely since it is so fleeting. And the display in our garden now consists of a carpet of blossoms on the ground. There are still a couple of blossoms in the tree, but maybe tomorrow when we wake up it could all be gone.
Some paper that we made, filled with blossoms.
Yet, the cherry blossoms are not only beautiful and provide art inspiration, they can also teach us about ways to live.
Can we build cities that imitate not only the beauty of blossoms but also the way the trees interact with their environment? A cherry blossom estate that lives in harmony with other living things.
The cherry tree may be used as a metaphor for eco-effective principles. The thousands of pretty flowers create fruits loved by birds, humans and other animals. A seed may fall to the ground and take root and grow into a big cherry tree. The pink shower of blossoms that cover the ground decomposes and turns into nutrients. The decomposed blossoms nourish microorganisms, insects, plants, animals, and soil.
Admiring blossoms may help us to rethink designs and build eco-efficient buildings that save energy.
A cherry blossom estate would invite the light in, and the sun would dance among the houses. At night, the cherry blossom houses would clean the air of toxins so that everybody would wake up to the sounds of birds and fresh air. All the rubbish is used to nourish the Cherry Blossom Estate.
Organic architecture can use living trees to create inhabitable structures. The Cherry Blossom Estate is a playful approach that inspires young children to play with underlying assumptions about the way we build houses. The idea behind our houses is that the branches from the cherry tree are used as structural support, and the houses are growing and changing as the trees grow.
Pleaching is used in some modern designs by architects. The controlled growth and alteration of trees is used to create designs.
Photo: Egg House
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.