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Design for Life : The Architecture of
Sim Van der Ryn

Sim Van der Ryn, president of Van der Ryn Architects, is a renowned leader in sustainable architecture. For over thirty-five years, his design, planning, teaching and public leadership has advanced the viability, acceptance and knowledge base of ecological principles and practices in architecture and planning.

How does nature teach?
How does nature learn?
How does nature heal?
How does nature communicate?
Quieting human cleverness is
the first step in biomimicry. Next comes listening, then trying to echo what we hear. This emulating is hard and humbling work. When what we learn improves how we live,
we grow grateful,and that leads to the last step in the path:
stewardship and caretaking, a practical thanksgiving for what we've learned.

Janine Benyus

CBID is an interdisciplinary center for research and development of design solutions that occur in biological processes. Founded in 2005, It is one of more than 100 interdisciplinary research units funded at Georgia Institute of Technology