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Biomimicry Thinking in Georgia

Biomimicry Thinking
October 14-19, 2018 | Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia

Join us among Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains for a five-day training experience designed to equip you with the framework to help conceive, create, and implement innovation ideas inspired by nature’s genius.

Set against the backdrop of the Appalachian forest, this biomimicry immersion workshop is for anyone open to discovery. Inspire your inner changemaker as you dive deep into the Biomimicry Thinking methodology, exploring how intelligence from nature can elevate your design process, leading to innovation that is cutting edge, effective, elegant, and inherently sustainable.

 

Registration Closed

What To Expect

Each day is brimming with content and exploration. You should plan to clear your agenda and fully immerse yourself in the biomimicry experience!

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Biomimicry Thinking

Here’s a preview of what each day will include:

October 14: Meet the group at Atlanta airport for a 3 p.m. shuttle to the Elohee Center. Settle into your room and get oriented to your surroundings while getting to know your fellow participants. We’ll provide an overview of what to expect for the week. After dinner, you’ll have the chance to relax and prepare for the busy week ahead.

October 15: After an orientation to the local ecosystem, we will start building a foundation of the biomimicry philosophy and design approach through a mix of lectures and activities. We will introduce daily iSites—a form of biomimetic nature journaling—to help collect inspiration from nature. In the afternoon, we will go through a fast-paced, team-based biomimicry design jam.

October 16: We will tackle each step of the biomimicry thinking approach with an interdisciplinary team-based design challenge throughout the remainder of the week beginning with how to scope a design challenge biomimetically. With a clear understanding of the team’s design challenge, we then start the process of discovering natural models that can inspire solutions with a hike through the temperate forest ecosystem guided by a local expert.

October 17: Picking up where we left off, the team work continues as interdisciplinary team dynamics become leveraged to unpack and understand the mechanisms behind the inspiring natural models to the design challenges. We shift from analytical to creative in the afternoon with the kick off to the ideation phase where the biomimicry solutions start to come to life.

October 18: Life’s Principles—the deep patterns behind the way life works—is the focus of the day as we learn about them in the classroom and outside in the local ecosystem. We then use Life’s Principles as a framework for evaluating and optimizing the solutions to the design challenges.

October 19: As a final wrap-up, we consider how the learnings and experiences collected over the course of the workshop can be applied in the work that we do. We’ll close the workshop after breakfast and have you back to the Atlanta airport by noon.

Instructors

Jamie Dwyer–Biomimicry 3.8 Principal, Design & Research

Biomimicry provides the perfect opportunity to fuse Jamie’s seemingly divergent interest in the fields of biology and architectural design. Stemming from her degrees in architecture, biology, and biomimicry, Jamie’s work for Biomimicry 3.8 is often focused on integrating biomimicry in the built environment, from uncovering local biological champions as inspiration for place-based design to working towards creating factories that provide ecosystem services like a forest. Jamie has also led innovative research efforts in product design and social innovation. Working with companies such as HOK, BNIM, Interface, and Kimberly-Clark, Jamie has managed projects, led research and inspired many designers. Jamie has led dozens of budding biomimics through the biomimicry design process as well as through ecosystems around the world during past biomimicry workshops.

Seth GaleWyrick–Biomimicry 3.8 Principal, Engineer

Seth GaleWyrick is a principal and Certified Biomimicry Professional with Biomimicry 3.8, leveraging biomimicry and engineering to help clients solve their toughest challenges. With a background in mechanical engineering, Seth has more than 15 years of experience in product development where he led over 50 projects from R&D through design, engineering, and production for clients in a wide range of industries. He holds 10 patents. His passion to contribute to sustainable solutions for problems worth solving led him to biomimicry. He holds an MS in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and a BS in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Seth also serves as faculty at ASU teaching Biomimicry & Engineering for the MS program and frequently lectures at design, engineering, and sustainability conferences. His growing family includes his wife, three kids, a dog and some chickens. In his spare time, he loves photography, gardening, snowboarding, hiking/camping and brewing beer.

Pricing/Discounts

The all-inclusive price for the workshop includes delicious, organic and (when possible) locally harvested breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks; overnight accommodations for five nights; all activities during the week; tuition and course materials; transportation from the Atlanta (ATL) International Airport(at a set time); and administration costs. A variety of accommodations are available at Elohee Center to meet your needs and budget from camping to private en suite rooms. Some rooming types are limited and first come, first served.  See photos of the rooms on Elohee Center’s website. Reserve your seat for only $500. Full payment is due September 7, 2018.

Camping | $3,200
Bring your own tent and sleeping bag for a more rustic experience. Camping platforms are provided as well as a dedicated bathroom & shower facility. Limited availability.

Shared room en suite | $3,500
These shared rooms have two single beds and a private en suite bathroom. You can request a roommate or we will assign you a roommate of the same sex.

Private single with shared bathroom | $3,600
These rooms provide more privacy and contain one single bed. A full bathroom is shared between two private single rooms. 

Private king en suite | $3,900
These deluxe rooms provide a comfortable king size bed and your own en suite bathroom. Limited availability.

Discounts – Limited Availability!
All discounts have limited availability, are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and may not be combined.

  • Student discount: Enrolled university students save $250. Must upload copy of current student ID upon registration.
  • Biomimicry Global Network member discount: Members of a local Biomimicry Global Network save $250. Must upload brief, written endorsement from local network leader upon registration.
  • Group Discounts Thinking of sending your team? Take advantage of our group tuition discounts. Email workshops@biomimicry.net for more information.
    • 2 Participants from the same organization:  10% Off Tuition 
    • 3 Participants from the same organization:  15% Off Tuition
    • 4 Participants from the same organization:  20% Off Tuition
    • 5+ Participants from the same organization: 25% Off Tuition

Convince your boss by downloading and sharing our new PDF that outlines the professional benefits and value biomimicry immersion workshops can add to any organization. Download Convince Your Boss pdf here.

Registration and deadlines

Online registration forms must be completed by August 31, 2018. All instructions and pricing information is included within the form. Late registration will be accepted through September 28th, pending availability. 

Learn more about Immersion Workshops here

Questions? Contact us at workshops@biomimicry.net or +1 406-543-4108 *210

Employee Wellbeing

Employee Wellbeing

Each workshop includes a team design challenge that allows participants to employ Biomimicry Thinking to brainstorm nature-inspired solutions to real-world challenges. One past team took on the challenge of designing environments that support employee wellbeing.

Purify Water

Purify Water

Each workshop includes a team design challenge that allows participants to employ Biomimicry Thinking to brainstorm nature-inspired solutions to real-world challenges. One past team took on the challenge of purifying water of heavy metals, particulates, and pathogens.

Building Efficiency

Building Efficiency

Each workshop includes a team design challenge that allows participants to employ Biomimicry Thinking to brainstorm nature-inspired solutions to real-world challenges. One past team took on the challenge of utility efficiency, aiming to design a high use building focusing on waste management with no water supply.

The Biomimicry Thinking workshop was everything I wanted and more. Rich with new material and hands-on design challenges. I left with a new perspective and a desire to learn more. Highly recommended!

— Devin Seese, Immersion Workshop Alumni
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