Indian Designers Built A Genius Air Conditioner That Works Without Electricity, And It Can Save Lives
Air conditioners may be contributing to global warming, but in blazing hot countries like India, they’re simply a necessity during the summer. Ant Studio, a design company based in New Delhi, has built a boundary-pushing structure that cools the air without using a single watt of electricity – and looks like a modern art installation at the same time.
Pairing up with Deki Electronics, also based in India’s capital, the Ant Studio team used a circular metal frame to bind hundreds of terracotta clay tubes, creating the Beehive. When soaked, the terracotta tubes absorb the water, and evaporate cool breezes as warm air pushes through them. It’s low maintenance, economical (due to the low cost and high availability of clay), and kind to the environment. “As an architect, I wanted to find a solution that is ecological and artistic, and at the same time evolves traditional craft methods,” Monish Siripurapu, founder of Ant Studio, told Arch Daily.
Feasible, functional, and fashionable, the Beehive is truly cutting-edge. Would you have one installed in your home? Scroll down to see it for yourself, and tell us the comments at the end.
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As an engineer, I must ask, where does the water come from? And how did you manage to avoid waste of water, and how did you circulate the wasted water without using any electric motor pump or something?
According to the website, they used a motor to pump water recycled from the factory over the clay structure, so the blip here on Bored Panda is a bit misleading.
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In general I like the idea but I think in an area like Southern Arizona you might have to treat the water so the mineralization wouldn't be so bad. Here, in a season, the pipes would be covered. Wouldn't the buildup of calcium and magnesium compromise the ability of the clay pipes to absorb water?
This is a nifty take on what is often referred to as a swamp cooler. If they can make it practical for the surroundings, it's a pretty neat idea.
A wind, solar and/or water wheel could power the pond water over the top and add more ART to the structure.
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Nice idea ! BTW : I know it's too late , but , *Trypophobia alertttt*
A wind, solar or waterwheel pump could recycle the water without electricity and also add to the ART of the system.
well, the Indians in the subcontinent knew how to make ice back in the 18th century to the great amazement of Britain which was ruling over them, then. https://archive.org/stream/IndianScienceAndTechnologyInTheEighteenthCentury/sciencedharam#page/n211/mode/2up/search/ice this link is very interesting.
How do you control mold? Legionnaires Disease would thrive in that construction.
What about the musty smell from this installation? And, how do they plan to service it and keep it clean?
Will bacteria grow in this? Electric fan, and pump, circulating moisture droplets ...
Is it just me or is that a giant powered vent directly behind this structure???
The vent produced hot air that is cooled by this structure - demo purpose.
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Since global warming is a farce created the left, this is like a CNN story. Indians invented the swamp cooler years after it was already invented....Pffff!
There's nothing new about this in principle. The Indians have been doing it for centuries, using something called kus-kus tatties. They weave a screen of dried out lake weed stems, and hang it in front of a doorway or window. They set up a system using syphonage, where water is dripped into a hanging half pipe which is slight off-set. When the drain is full of water, it tips on it's hinges, and drops the water down the tatty, soaking it. As wind blows through, it cools the air inside. The water continues to drip into the hanging half-tank via syphonage, to slowly refill. It all works automatically once set up, and the supply water tank has to be topped up daily.
what is that huge yellow cabin behind it ? please don't let that be an enormous fan ?
We are wasting so much energy due to poor isolation, not thinking things true, and ill designs. So many things can be done so easily, like this example, like using convection in use building, and like placing constructions in the right places when possible (such as data centers into cold areas...). People just need to think before acting.
Guess you meant 'insulation' not 'isolation'?! Wonder if you are scandinavian - my Danish boyfriend once made the same mistake...
Load More Replies...
As an engineer, I must ask, where does the water come from? And how did you manage to avoid waste of water, and how did you circulate the wasted water without using any electric motor pump or something?
According to the website, they used a motor to pump water recycled from the factory over the clay structure, so the blip here on Bored Panda is a bit misleading.
Load More Replies... In general I like the idea but I think in an area like Southern Arizona you might have to treat the water so the mineralization wouldn't be so bad. Here, in a season, the pipes would be covered. Wouldn't the buildup of calcium and magnesium compromise the ability of the clay pipes to absorb water?
This is a nifty take on what is often referred to as a swamp cooler. If they can make it practical for the surroundings, it's a pretty neat idea.
A wind, solar and/or water wheel could power the pond water over the top and add more ART to the structure.
Load More Replies... Nice idea ! BTW : I know it's too late , but , *Trypophobia alertttt*
A wind, solar or waterwheel pump could recycle the water without electricity and also add to the ART of the system.
well, the Indians in the subcontinent knew how to make ice back in the 18th century to the great amazement of Britain which was ruling over them, then. https://archive.org/stream/IndianScienceAndTechnologyInTheEighteenthCentury/sciencedharam#page/n211/mode/2up/search/ice this link is very interesting.
How do you control mold? Legionnaires Disease would thrive in that construction.
What about the musty smell from this installation? And, how do they plan to service it and keep it clean?
Will bacteria grow in this? Electric fan, and pump, circulating moisture droplets ...
Is it just me or is that a giant powered vent directly behind this structure???
The vent produced hot air that is cooled by this structure - demo purpose.
Load More Replies... Since global warming is a farce created the left, this is like a CNN story. Indians invented the swamp cooler years after it was already invented....Pffff!
There's nothing new about this in principle. The Indians have been doing it for centuries, using something called kus-kus tatties. They weave a screen of dried out lake weed stems, and hang it in front of a doorway or window. They set up a system using syphonage, where water is dripped into a hanging half pipe which is slight off-set. When the drain is full of water, it tips on it's hinges, and drops the water down the tatty, soaking it. As wind blows through, it cools the air inside. The water continues to drip into the hanging half-tank via syphonage, to slowly refill. It all works automatically once set up, and the supply water tank has to be topped up daily.
what is that huge yellow cabin behind it ? please don't let that be an enormous fan ?
We are wasting so much energy due to poor isolation, not thinking things true, and ill designs. So many things can be done so easily, like this example, like using convection in use building, and like placing constructions in the right places when possible (such as data centers into cold areas...). People just need to think before acting.
Guess you meant 'insulation' not 'isolation'?! Wonder if you are scandinavian - my Danish boyfriend once made the same mistake...
Load More Replies... 
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