Bioinspired Breathable Architecture for Water Harvesting.

Thuja plicata is a coniferous tree which displays remarkable water channelling properties. In this article, an easily fabricated mesh inspired by the hierarchical macro surface structure of Thuja plicata branchlets is described which emulates this efficient water collection behaviour. The key parameters are shown to be the pore size, pore angle, mesh rotation, tilt angle (branch droop) and layering (branch overlap). Envisaged societal applications include water harvesting and low cost breathable architecture for developing countries.