It is no surprise that with the raise in interest in green architecture, people across the planet are looking at nature for inspiration. They are trying to intertwine art and architecture with evolution and natural surroundings to make sure that the new revolution in the field of construction and building is alive and well. We have many instances in past when great works of design have been produced by taking the basic blueprint from nature and improvising on it. Well, this ‘Cool’ green building in Harare, Zimbabwe is no different.
Mick Pearce, an architect interested in the ecology accepted an exhilarating challenge of Old Mutual, an insurance and real estate conglomerate: build an office building attractive and functional not to use air conditioning. At first glance it appeared to be a ridiculous idea but in the end turned out to be the best shopping mall in Harare. Pearce, who was born in Zimbabwe, went to school in South Africa and trained as an architect in London was ready for the challenge and managed to overcome all odds basing his architectural designs in the way they have termites cooling their mounds shaped tower Mud.
The termites have to maintain the internal temperature of the mound on which inhabit constant 30 ° C to achieve a fungus that grows essential to their survival. It is not easy because the temperature of the African plains can go over 37 ° C during the day and 40 below zero at night. Still, the insects succeed directing the breeze by an ingenious way from the base of the mound to chambers with cold and wet clay and then redirect the air cooled to the top. The office complex, called Eastgate, was opened in 1996 and is the largest shopping complex in Zimbabwe. It maintains a stable temperature between 22 ° C and 25 ° C and uses less than 10% of the energy they consume other buildings its size.
It works through a system called passive cooling and that is conducted in 4 stages. Throughout the day, it redirects the air from the outside to cool the inside and at night uses an insulating principle to keep the heat. Once again, this is a great example of how one can use nature’s simple ideas to save natural energy and reduce on pollution.
