Built by Animals

Built by Animals is the latest title in an internationally bestselling series that has won the Blue Peter Book Award, and it continues the story begun in Invented by Animals. Its focus is on the creatures whose behaviour has shaped the materials and construction methods used in buildings today.

The book is illustrated by Yeji Yun, whose playful artwork brings each animal to life, and the text is written by Christiane Dorion, an educator with WWF. Together they introduce biomimicry, the practice of learning from nature's designs. Readers discover how the hexagonal cells of a honeycomb make structures stronger, and how termites build nests that stay naturally cool, a clever form of air conditioning. Each example makes clear that these animals found the solutions long before people did.

The closing section invites readers to vote in the Animal Builder Awards, choosing between the prairie dog, the peacock, the beaver and the firefly. Throughout, the book presents a science, technology, engineering and maths subject in an accessible way, suggesting that the future of architecture can draw inspiration from nature while respecting it.