As the Egyptians, Aztecs, Greeks, and Incas well knew, nature holds within itself the answers to life's great mysteries. We only need to observe it closely to decipher the enigma. Often, we move heaven and earth searching for what has been right in front of our eyes all along. Immersed in our cell phones and concrete cities, when was the last time we walked on the grass or gazed at the stars?
Ancient civilizations did so constantly. By studying the path of the sun, the seasons, and the rain, they left a legacy of structures that have survived for millennia and still stand today. Without Google or computers, they acquired knowledge through the observation and study of their surroundings: nature.
“The earth has music for those who listen,” said Spanish poet George Santayana. There is no doubt that the ancient master builders listened; I wonder if we can do the same. Surrounded by the bustle of large cities, the task becomes more difficult. But we can take this opportunity to try.
One of the most fascinating things about nature is that it produces no waste. Just as it sounds. Every element in nature has a purpose and is part of the cycle of life. Waste is a human invention. Walk through a supermarket: ninety percent of what we see there will be consumed and then discarded. Yes, some items can be recycled (if they actually are), but most of it will become waste. Now consider that this is just one of thousands of supermarkets in a city. We are talking about tons and tons of waste, all produced by humans.
The fact that nature produces no waste is more than astonishing.
When it comes to construction, honeybees are a prime example of following the principle of generating no waste. We owe the pollination of most of the world's plants to these noble insects. Without them, plants could not produce seeds or survive—and neither could we.
Just like humans, bees need food and shelter to live. They have no beaks or hands to build with, yet they live in one of the most efficient geometric designs: the beehive.
The hive requires a series of cells made of wax where, on one hand, nectar is stored to later become honey, and on the other, the queen bee deposits eggs that will eventually become bees.
Wax is an optimal building material because it is malleable, strong, and can hold liquids (honey). However, it requires a great deal of energy to produce. Therefore, the design of the cells must allow for the storage of the maximum amount of honey with the minimum amount of wax, avoiding waste. In other words, a useful and efficient architecture that optimizes material use.
How to do this? The circle is known to be the geometric shape that encloses the largest area within the smallest perimeter. Therefore, the cells could be circular. However, the problem with circles is that when repeated, they create dead spaces that are wasted. And as we already know, nature does not generate waste.
Equilateral triangles and squares do not have this problem, as they fit together perfectly when repeated without leaving residual spaces, but the area they enclose is not the largest. Therefore, they are not the most efficient option.
Mathematically, the hexagon is the geometric shape that encloses the largest area with the smallest perimeter without creating wasted space, as its form allows cells to tile perfectly like a mosaic. Even without the help of calculators or arithmetic, bees arrived at the correct typology.
Many scientists assert that the hexagonal design is the result of the bees' genetic memory and thousands of years of evolution; others argue that bees build circular cells that subsequently adopt a hexagonal shape due to the pressure of each bee wanting to make its cell as large as possible.
Ultimately, the architecture of the hive represents the most efficient design, enclosing the maximum amount of space with the greatest economy of resources. Not bad for a creature that measures just 1.5 centimeters.
Plan:b arquitectos and JPRCR Arquitectos listened to the bees and learned from them. In the Medellín Botanical Garden, they created the Orquideorama. A semi-covered space, it hosts various activities immersed in the local flora and fauna. A permeable roof adopts the concept of the hive's hexagonal cells, allowing for structural flexibility.
The efficient architecture of bees is just a small example of how fascinating the world around us can be. Unfortunately, these noble creatures are endangered. “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years of life left,” Einstein predicted. Without bees, plants would die, then animals, and finally, humans.
As architects and human beings, we must learn from nature and preserve it.
This article was written by Mariana Etulain. The translation is powered by AI.
