What is Biomimicry?

If you’ve been browsing our collection of carpet tiles and flooring accessories then you will have likely come across the word ‘biomimicry’ at least a couple of times and wondered ‘WTF does that actually mean’. Well have no fear because we’re here to iron out any confusion and de-baffle your brains.

Mother Nature knows best

Don’t worry, we aren’t taking you back to one of those dreaded science lessons where it sounded like the teacher at the front of the room was speaking an entirely differently language while getting overexcited about a suspect substance bubbling over a bunsen burner. We’re here to show you that what sounds like something brain-achingly complicated is actually a pretty simple solution to enhancing simplicity and sustainability.

Biomimicry came about during the 1950’s when biophysicist and all-round genius, Otto Schmitt began studying the nerves of squids and comes from the Greeks words for ‘life’ (bios) and ‘to imitate’ (mimesis). The concept was eventually the inspiration behind Velcro when its inventor thought more about the sticking power of bur plants and has gone on to influence plenty more modern day magic.

In a nutshell, it’s basically a scientific word to describe the process of imitating the processes and patterns that can be found in nature in order to solve problems that we humans face on a daily basis. It’s all about looking at what Mother Nature does well and emulating it to cultivate new ways of living that make life more efficient for this generation and the generations to come.

Outdoors meets indoors

So in the grand scheme of things, this biomimicry thing is all about making life easier for us mere mortals and less damaging for the planet itself through a whole host of weird and wonderful processes but what about when it comes to carpet tiles? Generating wind by imitating humpback wales and improving medicinal administration by mimicking mosquitoes is fantastic but here at DCTUK, we believe humble interior design is as good a place to start as any.

The evolution of biomimicry has allowed an innovative approach to interior design that not only makes life much more stress-free for us but also helps contribute to a greener, more eco-friendly way of living. Modern tufting techniques mean the finish of each tile in a collection can be unique so can be installed with no particular method or calculated system, reducing unnecessary wastage and time spent installing your new floor. Earthy colourways and nature-inspired patterns and textures mean stains and damage are cleverly concealed and co-ordinate perfectly with wooden accents and interior aspects such as stairs and panelling.

Some of our favourite tiles that use biomimicry to provide simple, stylish and ethical flooring solutions are Heuga Really Random,Nouveau Nature, Desso Tree, Burmatex Surface and Modulyss DSGN Cloud. We are also big fans of Interface’s TacTiles, which were invented after innovators emulated and adapted the way geckos can adhere themselves to almost any surface to create a solution that holds tile arrangements together without disrupting the subfloor. You can get your sticky mitts on some of those over on our Essentials page.