When an artic fox is cold it curls up in the snow in order to reduce the amount of surface area exposed to the weather. A saguaro cactus is cylindrical in order to optimize its surface-to-volume ratio, thus reducing the amount of transpiration. This feature in the saguaro and other xerophytes enables them to survive in the desert.

The lesson from plant and animal morphology should be understood and taken into account when designing buildings. Transpiration (moisture loss) in a cactus is analogous to heat lost in a building. Size is also an important consideration. For example, the massive whale requires fewer calories per kilogram of body weight than any other mammal.

Generally, compact and basic forms are more energy efficient that articulated ones. Consider the efficiency of a steamer, which allows one to cook soup, rice, vegetables and fish all at the same time. Site and program conditions such as solar orientation, wind patterns, land form, opportunities for views, or desires for private spaces and different household temperature zones, are also important parameters of architectural morphology, which in combination should influence the built form.