Biomimicry research as an architectural design method in renaissance utopias

Utopias that have been designed intellectually and literary throughout history have reached the level of spatial construct in Renaissance period. As a period when Scholastic notion has declined and Platonist logos started to become prevalent, humanism emerged during Renaissance. With humanism, human intellect has gained importance and was dignified. Human body was considered as a microcosmic representation of macrocosmos and as to harbor ideal ratios, and designs that resemble human body was made. During Renaissance, works have been made and utopias have been designed in so many areas with the desire to reach the ideal. Renaissance intellectuals have inclinde to natural sciences, thinking that nature needs to be observed for scientific development. They have laid the foundations of modern science, and produced works on scientific empiricism and observation. They believed that the more they reached information on nature, the more they would develop. As it was seen throughout history, social developments have influenced the design of utopias. Within this context, it is likely that the scientific innovations in Renaissance have had an influence on utopia designs. As a design method based on scientific observation, biomimicry suggests examination of organisms in nature and mimicking the design strategies of nature. Having been existed for 3.8 billion years, nature has a sustainable system which it developed through evolution. When biomimicry is implemented as a design method, nature offers solutions to many design problems by being utilized as a reference book. As a definition that belongs to today, the concept of biomimicry is a design method that suggests reaching ideal designs through the observation of nature. Foresights on the likeliness of the usage of this method on utopias that were created during Renaissance which is a period when the foundations of modern science has been laid are examined in this thesis, and the obtained findings are presented.