Entheogen: Envisioning Sustainable Futures through Biomimicry and Parametric Design

Abstract

Entheogen, which roughly translates from ancient Greek as "becoming the divine within," is a creative process that envisions sustainable futures by generating biologically inspired sculptures. Biomimicry is a design process that derives aesthetic and functional inspiration from evolved forms found in nature. Biomimicry is geared towards sustainability because it mimics evolution's imperatives of ecological fit, material efficiency, and minimal waste. By mimicking evolutionary processes, parametric design tools such as Rhino+Grasshopper serve as powerful technological co-collaborators in the design project of biomimicry. Rhino+Grasshopper mimics evolutionary processes by allowing its users to code mathematical systems where shifting input parameters iteratively 'evolves' output forms in real time. I posit that aesthetic discourse is a developed human technology. The function of this technology is to serve as a mirror, reflecting the current conditions and values of society, and in doing so, it allows us to better see ourselves. Yet art can do more than show us how to see ourselves in the present: it also allows us to envision and unlock possible futures. Aesthetic discourse has its own zeitgeist that is often theoretical and 'out in front of' slower-moving disciplines that directly shape our built environment, such as architecture and engineering. In this way, I hope that my biomimetic art practice may serve as blueprints or wayfinding stones for future architects and engineers, revealing possible pathways towards a more harmonious relationship with each other and with nature – a harmony that is at the essence of "becoming the divine within."