Air-Conditioning lessons from Termite Mounds

What termites can teach us about architecture

The termites keep a constant temperature of 30 ° C inside their mound while the outside temperature fluctuates between 2 ° C and 40 ° C, the difference between day and night. The termites achieve this remarkable feat by constantly opening and closing a series of heating and cooling vents throughout the mound over the course of the day. With a system of carefully adjusted convection currents, air is sucked in at the lower part of the mound, down into enclosures with muddy walls, and up through a channel to the peak of the termite mound. The industrious termites constantly dig new vents and plug up old ones in order to regulate the temperature.


In Harare, Zimbabwe, a business complex was built, Easgate, with large windows, which in principle is not very appropriate in that warm climate. But the architect Mick Pearce designed a passive system of ventilation and air-conditioning channels along the lines of termite mounds, resulting in a saving of 90% of energy. The construction, which was completed in 1996, consists of two towers which are separated by a ventilated patio. The air in the patio circulates inside the towers and provides cooling in the offices. There is no air conditioning but fans and virtually no heating.