A native of Adelaide, Australia, Onno studied Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. After graduation, he worked with the Rocky Mountain Institute (an entrepreneurial environmental non-profit) as a research fellow, where he published several papers on the subject of biomimicry for buildings. He also assisted RMI’s Energy Team in the development of an Energy Resource Investment Strategy for San Francisco.

Since he joined PAX Scientific, Onno has been lead engineer, design engineer, and project manager on a wide variety of projects. As PAX’s first engineer, Onno’s role was to begin the translation of theoretical principles into readily quantifiable results and standardized industry parlance. He has worked on fans, blowers, pumps, marine propellers, heat exchangers, wind and water turbines, mixers, fuselage drag reduction, and a number of other projects over the past three years. He brings a deep and thorough knowledge of the PAX Streamlining Principle to every design challenge.

At present he is jointly leading the full product design for the upcoming PAX Reservoir Mixer, including procurement and sourcing, project management, in-house and out-sourced testing, and engineering.

Fellowship

Onno came to RMI to research biomimicry. In the pursuit of that goal, he worked extensively with the Green Development Services (GD) team and outside specialist Janine Benyus to further define the research direction at RMI and increase awareness in the general public about this ground-breaking subject. He wrote three articles for the RMI newsletter, created several databases of biomimetic leads and solutions and, during his last four months, produced a biomimicry design guide, called Bio-Inspired Design: Ideas, Wisdom and Applications from Nature (available for purchase on the RMI web site).

Onno also gave a speech to a forum of over 50 Nederland, CO residents on 'Oil: Politics and Alternatives' and was a guest lecturer on biomimicry at Colorado State University in one of the world's first-ever classes on biomimicry. He spent an additional month working for RMI's Energy Services team to help put together an energy resource investment strategy for the city of San Francisco, helping them invest their $100 million bond from November 2001 in the most effective way.

"RMI is a fabulous, diverse, fast-paced and interesting place to be. I have attended conferences and intensive design workshops (charrettes) as well as given presentations and speeches in the name of RMI, and in the last seven months I have learned a great deal. The mentorship of the GDS (Green Development Services) team is second to none - despite their overly busy schedules. To top it all off, living near Aspen in the mountains of Colorado is not only beautiful, but provides unbelievable recreational opportunities. I would do this fellowship again in a heartbeat."

—Onno Koelman

Please click on the links below to view publications authored by Onno during his Fellowship.

Building the Future of Buildings

Biomimetic Buildings: Understanding & Applying the Lessons of Nature

Biomimicry in Communities: Shared Resources Work