What is there to find in nature? From the delicate strings of a spider’s silky web to the
jagged boulders atop mountainous cliffs, nature is full of life and different patterns. May it be
through food webs or merely just a striking resemblance, everything in nature is connected in
some way. People around the globe now seek to create these patterns in buildings by adding
more plants or patterns to the design of a building. Why do these patterns form in nature, and
why do people seek to form them now?

Before delving into the question as to why patterns form in nature, the patterns must first
be identified. Philip Ball, an author who frequently writes about science, explained to the
Smithsonian that a “pattern” found in nature may not have identical repetition, but show a form
of regularity. So while these patterns may not be copy-paste, the connection is made that they
have a similarity. For example, there is a striking resemblance between veins and arteries and a
branching river. However, this is a more abstract example, in which a reason as to why
resemblance forms here is unknown. A more commonplace (less abstract) example would be
the similarity between a peppered moth and a tree, where the moth matches the coloration of
the tree almost exactly.

The question concerning why patterns form in nature can now be discussed, as the
reason for this moth and tree relation is easily explained. Not only that, but there is a generally
discussed reason as to why any patterns form in nature. This commonly referred to reason is
called natural selection. Natural selection is a gradual process in which the organisms that are
better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive. This is similar to the idea of
“survival of the fittest.” The organism best suited to survive in the environment around it will
survive, and then reproduce organisms with similar survival traits. In the example of the moth
and the tree, the moth uses its deliberate coloration as camouflage in order to defend itself from
predators. Moths that did not match the color of the tree may have died off, as the predators
quickly ate their species away. Camouflage is just one reason that patterns may form in nature
through natural selection.

With that in mind, why would people seek to form these patterns? Being very high on the
food chain and having an extensive amount of weaponry available, people do not need these
patterns for things like camouflage. However, patterns in nature have an effect on cognitive,
psychological, and physiological systems. Nature allows peoples’ cognitive functions to take a
break, as involving in something like a nature walk or simply staring at a tree does not require
direct focus, which cognitive functions allow. Drained cognitive functions mean less
concentration. However, nature provides a source of renewal for these functions, meaning that
those who spend more time in nature most likely have more focus (because their cognitive
functions are replenished). Instead of going to these cognitive-replenishers, people are now
manufacturing buildings that either include more plants or look more like the natural world, using
a method called biophilic design. Biophilic design seeks to create cohesiveness between people

and nature. This provides a more sustainable option for people and plants as the modern world
continues to expand.

In the end, patterns form in nature for various reasons, and people now seek to form
them through biophilic design. Humanity as a species is undergoing natural selection by
choosing to include nature within their designs in architecture and other facets of life. Patterns
may form through natural selection to provide things like camouflage, or may be a result of
people trying to connect with nature through biophilic design. Both are woven tapestries
displaying a large array of life with different patterns. To conclude, from the rivers rushing
around the globe to the veins in a human hand, patterns are painted throughout nature.

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By Mackenzie Sullivan