Termites and Air-Conditioning

By Catherine Qiu

Climate change is here and now. How can we decrease the harmful effects of this phenomenon? One place to look for inspiration is in the homes of termites! Rather than destroying homes, many termite species actually build mounds to live in. These small termites can build a mound up to seven meters tall. Although there is no central plan of construction, they are able to work together through chemical tracing and a wonderful evolutionary masterpiece is built. The mounds have great ventilation and air conditioning qualities that humans can take inspiration from; In fact, many architects already have, albeit with obviously more safety precautions and modern materials.

According to the New York Times, in Zimbabwe, a building called the Eastgate Centre was inspired by termites’s mounds; It even “uses 90 percent less energy than a similar sized building.”

The reason behind the effective ventilation and temperature control is still up for debate. Hot air may arise from metabolic activity or the sun’s heat. Some say that hot air will rise out of the central chimney and chambers, leaving the internal temperature to be cooler. At night, when the outside temperatures are cool, the airflow is opposite of that in the daytime. The internal structure can maintain a relatively constant temperature, no matter the temperature outside. In addition, the mound may act like a human lung, where oxygen and carbon dioxide may flow in and out of the porous, yet sturdy material.

Sources -

• https://www.dw.com/en/termite-air-conditioning-runs-on-smart-design/a-18698640

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/science/termite-nest-ventilation.html

• https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/what-termites-can-teach-engineers

• https://psmag.com/environment/future-of-air-conditioning-inside-a-termite-mound