The Eastgate Centre and a Termite Mound
The passive cooling system at Eastgate Centre
The passive cooling system at Eastgate Centre
This building is the Eastgate Center, a highrise in Zimbabwe. It employs a passive cooling system that was inspired by the local termite mounds. I was reading about termite mounds in Animal Architecture by Karl von Frisch. The termites cool their mounds by way of ducts and chambers. The walls are porous and allow carbon dioxide to escape and oxygen to come in. The air is cooled during its passage through ridges towards the cellar by way of wide ducts. From there it returns to the nest replacing the rising warm air.
4 comments:
great post...very cool...huh?
when i first saw the interior photo or image posted next to the mound....i immediately thought of the interior space of raphael vinoly's international forum in tokyo. i don't know if this really relates to a termite mound but it does have, from my experience there, a similar kind of central atrium and networked system of crossings and circulation. this may not have a passive cooling system but may formally help in some way.....here's an initial link for images
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Tokyo_International_Forum.html
the link does't seem to have really transmitted....just look for rafael vinoly's international forum in tokyo if interested.
Thanks for the link, very helpful. Got me thinking about other similar buildings w. atruims and similar structures, including the (F?) terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport that was built to look like the shell of a canoe.
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