diagram 1
diagram 2
diagram 3
The waterproofing mechanism of birds is two-fold. Birds’ feathers have a simple yet intricate system of Barbules with barbs and shafts with hooks which interlock on a microscopic level to lock out moisture and effectively waterproof the animal. [see diagram 1] On a larger scale, birds also acheive water resistance by the complex interlocking organization of the feathers themselves which essentially crosshatch the birds body and even more effectively lock out moisture. [see diagram 2] When birds preen, they release their feathers from one another and then interlock them back together.
This overlapping alignment is similar to the alignment of roofing shingles. On the smaller scale, the hook and barb system of feathers has been used in architectural skins such as the Q1 building in Essen, Germany, [see diagram 3] primarily for reasons of shading and control over solar gain. Would it be possible to use this interlocking technique architecturally for a buildings waterproofing itself?
On Technology and Architecture 