“Houses are machines for living in”, as Le Corbusier said. A building could be said to be one of the largest and most widely used machines in existence today. So why is this particular type of machine so inefficient? A new precedent for design inspiration is needed to mitigate the impact of buildings on the environment. A machine can be defined as a device that uses energy to perform an activity. Nature, which uses solar energy, can therefore be considered the most sustainable machine. So why not use it as a model on which to base the design and construction of the building? Biomimicry, or the study of natural models that are then imitated or used as inspiration, is a process for solving design problems. In architecture, the “hip” thing today, as Bjarke Ingels says, is sustainability. The most popular definition of sustainability was defined at a United Nations conference in 1987. It defines sustainable development as that which "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Although this definition is the most popular for sustainability, it does not define any measurable parameters for modeling and measuring sustainable development. According to a definition proposed by Vieria in "A Check List for Sustainable Developments", sustainability "identifies a concept and attitude in development that considers the natural resources of land, water and energy of a site as aspects of integral part of development. Biomimicry uses the natural environment of a site to influence its design. Different environmental aspects play a vital role in shaping the form and function of a building. Early further promotes the idea of ​​biomimicry by stating that "sustainability integrates natural systems with the human model...... middle of paper... ...l>.Biomimicry Institute. “Institute of Biomimicry – Architecture.” Biomimicry Institute - Home. Internet. March 20, 2011. Early, D. “What is Sustainable Design”, The Urban Ecologist, Society of Urban Ecology, Berkeley, Spring. 1993. Kellert, Stephen R., Judith Heerwagen and Martin Mador. Biophilic design: the theory, science and practice of bringing buildings to life. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008. 30-41. Print."Sustainable Design Update » Blog Archives » Biomimicry – Green Tall Buildings." Sustainable design update. May 17, 2008. the web. May 2, 2011. Vieria, 1993. “A Checklist for Sustainable Developments” in a resource guide for “Building Connections: Livable, Sustainable Communities,” American Institute of Architects, Washington, DC.