ant-studio develops terracotta 'beehive', an alternative to air conditioning

architecture and technology collective, ant studio, has developed a terracotta cooling installation at a factory in india that provides an energy efficient alternative to traditional air conditioning systems. the project has been developed as a response to rising temperatures during indian summers, where heated conditions were affecting the health and comfort of employees at the factory of deki electronics in uttar pradesh, india.

all images © s. anirudh

the installation employs the technique of evaporative cooling (tracing back to the egyptian period), to provide a low energy and effective solution. the machine cools down surroundings with the help of water and local materials. the thrust of hot air from the factory’s machinery facilitates as the design uses the air velocity from the genset to its facilitate evaporative cooling.

installation process of terracotta earthen cones

‘the design was inspired by the structure of a beehive, using environment-friendly earthen cones to create an aesthetic prototype’ explains the design team. ‘the conical components were customized through advanced computational analysis and modern calibration techniques and the thickness and the length of the material were modified with CFD analysis’.

the stacked form provides a large surface area for cooling

the geometry of the pots and the stacked form provides a large surface area for cooling, ensuring that the air does not bounce back to the genset. this was achieved by aligning the stacking of the pots to the air flow. once installed in the external driveway of the factory, the temperature drops by 6-8 degrees celsius around the installation when the atmospheric temperature is above 40 degrees celsius. the design team is hoping to further develop the technology for indoor environments.

the evaporative cooling system is fueled by the thrust of hot air from the factory’s genset