Living beings have adapted to a constantly changing environment during evolution through mutation, recombination, and selection. Biomimetic architecture seeks solutions for building sustainability present in nature.

The term biomimetic architecture refers to the study and application of construction principles which are found in natural environments and species and are translated into the design of sustainable solutions for architecture. Biomimetic architecture uses nature as a model, measure and mentor for providing architectural solutions across scales, which are inspired by natural organisms that have solved similar problems in nature. Using nature as a measure refers to using an ecological standard of measuring sustainability, and efficiency of man-made innovations.

Researchers studied the termite's ability to maintain virtually constant temperature and humidity in their termite mounds in Africa despite outside temperatures that vary from 1.5 to 40 °C. Researchers initially scanned a termite mound and created 3-D images of the mound structure, which revealed construction that could influence human building design. The Eastgate Centre, a mid-rise office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, stays cool via a passive cooling architecture that uses only 10% of the energy of a conventional building of the same size. Rather than using a traditional fuel-based air-conditioning system to regulate temperature within the building, the eco friendly Eastgate Centre is designed to exploit more passive and energy-efficient mechanisms of climate control.

Some species of termites, those that do farm fungus, build towering nests that are ventilated by a complex system of tunnels and openings. These tunnels regulate the nests’ ventilation the same way chimneys and windows work in a human house. The bi-layered building style can be replicated in skyscraper design to maintain temperature and humidity levels in the interiors. Allowing the building to breathe similar to the mounds can bring down energy use and operate more sustainably than regular buildings.

Researchers in the Sapienza University of Rome were inspired by the natural ventilation in termite mounds and designed a double façade that significantly cuts down over lit areas in a building. Scientists have imitated the porous nature of mound walls by designing a facade with double panels that was able to reduce heat gained by radiation and increase heat loss by convection in cavity between the two panels. The overall cooling load on the building's energy consumption was reduced by 15%.

A similar inspiration was drawn from the porous walls of termite mounds to design a naturally ventilated façade with a small ventilation gap. This design of façade is able to induce air flow due to the Venturi effect and continuously circulates rising air in the ventilation slot. Significant transfer of heat between the building's external wall surface and the air flowing over it was observed. The design is coupled with greening of the façade. Green wall facilitates additional natural cooling via evaporation, respiration and transpiration in plants. The damp plant substrate further support the cooling effect.