Archive for the ‘biomimicry’ tag
Mimic Termite Architecture for Innovative Passive Climate Control
Termite mound in Tanzania
I’m fascinated by biomimicry, and here’s a great article by Tom McKeag on an African architect inspired by termites. Mick Pearce adapted termite tech to a couple of buildings with passive climate control, apparently to great effect.
Termites, you may recall, abide in elaborate structures that maintain a remarkably stable internal temperature. McKeag writes:
“The mounds that they build are extremely durable structures of mud, often employing sophisticated buttressing and, in the case of so-called compass mounds, a precise shape and siting that optimize the effects of the sun.
“The compass mounds of Australia are shaped like large blades, narrow at the top and gently curved to a narrow boat-shaped footprint. They get their name from their consistent north-south orientation, and it is this orientation and shape that allow them to optimize their environment. When the sun angle is low and temperatures are chilly the mound receives the maximum exposure to its flanks and gains heat needed to warm the nest. When the sun is overhead, in the heat of the day, the narrow blade edge receives very little sunlight and unwanted heat gain. Shape saves energy, again, in the natural world.
“What impressed Mr. Pearce about the local African mounds was the climate control. Despite a daily fluctuation from 40 degrees C to less than 0 degrees C, the termites are able to maintain a constant inside temperature of 30 degrees C.”
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