Book 26, Question 33
How did an architect copy termite mounds to cool an office building?
Architect Mick Pearce was inspired by termite mounds, which stay steady in temperature while it is hot outside.
In Harare, Zimbabwe, the Eastgate Centre office building opened in 1996. At night, fans pull cool air through the building and push warm air out through tall chimneys. Thick concrete soaks up heat in the day and releases it later. The building uses far less energy for cooling than normal office towers.