Cynthia Fishman
Cynthia Fishman AIA, BSpec, LEED AP, ACUE, Fitwel Ambassador is the founder and Director of the Biomimicry Design Alliance, a research and architecture consulting group consisting of designers and scientists from the Denver, CO area. She received her Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and was part of the first matriculating class at Arizona State University to earn a Master of Science in Biomimicry, the only accredited program in the world. Cynthia was an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning for many years and has earned a Certificate In Effective College Instruction from the Association of Colleges and University Educators / American Council on Education.
She has given both Zoom and in-person presentations all over the country including as a speaker at the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Rocky Mountain Green Conference in Denver, CO, at the Rocky Mountain Natural Building Conference in Golden, CO, as the keynote speaker at the USGBC Arizona State Conference in Tempe, AZ and at the 2019 AIA (American Institute of Architects) National Convention in Las Vegas, NV. She was the recipient of the AIA Colorado Leadership Award in 2015 and was a winner of the Engineering News Record (ENR) Mountain States Top Young Professionals competition in 2018. Cynthia has also been awarded the AIA National 2019 Young Architects Award which honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the architecture profession early in their careers.
Cynthia is also the Executive Director of the Ecosa Institute whose mission is to “To teach regenerative design and ecological principles that align human aspirations with nature’s systems—empowering students to create resilient, responsible solutions through integrated education.”
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Introduction To Biomimicry And Architecture
Humans typically consider themselves the apex species on this planet. However, when looking at the news it appears we might need some help dealing with our changing world. Biomimicry looks to nature as a model, mentor, and measure – essentially, it assesses how nature functions and applies similar principles to human design challenges. For example, did you know burdock seed pods inspired Velcro? Or that the Venus’ flower basket, a “glass sponge” marine animal found in the deep waters of the Pacific, inspired the look of a famous London skyscraper? At its core, biomimicry allows humans to emulate forms, processes, and systems that the natural world has perfected for almost 3.8 billion years. This lecture will introduce the concept of biomimicry and showcase examples through the lens of architecture.
Biomimicry vs Biophilia
Biomimicry is the conscious emulation of nature’s genius from a functional perspective and biophilia is the hypothesis that humans are innately drawn to nature. In a time when humans are more detached from nature than ever before, how can these two bio-based design lenses help humanity reconnect with the natural world? This presentation will review both concepts along with examples, and then include an interactive discussion about how humans became disconnected and how (or if?) we should restore that relationship.
Biomimicry And Philosophy
Biomimicry is most well-known for the technologies that are created based on nature’s blueprints. However, the practice of biomimicry actually includes three Essential Elements: Emulate, (Re)Connect, and Ethos. This lecture will briefly review Emulate and (Re)Connect, but will mostly focus on the Ethos element, or philosophical component of biomimicry, and how that compares to other sustainability philosophies.