Smart materials for biomimetic building envelopes: current trends and potential applications

To reduce the energy consumption of buildings and limit their impact on the environment, greater attention has been paid, in recent years, to adaptive building envelopes technologies. Combining the dual function of sensors and actuators, smart materials are configured as excellent allies of adaptive technologies. Their responsiveness facilitates the dynamic interaction between the building and the environment through the building envelope configured as a living interface, similar to the skin of natural organisms. This study aims to explore the current trends and potential applications of smart materials to define biomimetic solutions for environmentally adaptive building envelopes. Starting from specifying the fine distinction between adaptive and responsive solutions, the PRISMA method is used to conduct a systematic literature review, together with a bibliometric analysis, to identify the main common occurrences of the keywords, the predominant geographical areas and the main sources. Only materials that respond to the environmental triggers of light, temperature and water were considered to create a design matrix that enriches the implementation phase of the biomimetic-Adaptive Model and provides researchers with a new useful tool for the biomimetic design phases. The study shows how smart materials can be used to realise the responsive functions of the biomimetic envelope, capable of regulating temperature, shielding solar radiation, filtering or reacting to variable environmental parameters. The application of smart materials in architecture is still limited, paving the way for future research discoveries and synergistic collaboration between architectural technologies, biology, and material sciences, and leading to a more sustainable built environment.