Heat efficiency, and methods of sustainable heating for buildings and other contained structures such as greenhouses or temporary shelters, is an issue that scientists continue to wrestle with. Improved heat retention and recovery techniques can have a positive impact across a wide range of situations, from reducing energy costs for urban homes and office buildings to helping create sustainable habitats for interplanetary exploration.

While we continue to try to engineer better sustainable systems for heat retention and recovery, nature already offers a variety of highly efficient solutions. In recent years, scientists and engineers have turned to naturally occurring systems for inspiration and have begun to create innovative biomimetic solutions. Some existing approaches have taken inspiration from human organs, animal skin and feathers, and bubbles to extract and trap heat.

The goal of this challenge is to develop a biologically-inspired solution for improving heat retention and/or recovery for a contained structure. With your response please address the following aspects:

1. The engineering discipline that informs your solution (e.g. chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering).  
2. The source of natural inspiration for the biomimetic aspect of your solution (e.g. animals, physical processes).
3. A description of your solution.
4. Any existing products or prototypes using technology similar to your proposed solution.
5. New products that could make use of your proposed solution.
6. OPTIONAL: a sketch of a model supporting points 3 and 5.