Passive Cooling with Terracotta
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering
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Provided by The Kid Should See This
What it is
- This short article and 4-minute video feature architect Monish Siripurapu and his team, who redesign ancient terracotta cooling techniques into modern low-energy structures to help cities cope with extreme heat.
- It explains how water poured over terracotta cools the surrounding air through evaporation, drawing an analogy to how trees cool their surroundings, and notes that the designs are inspired by beehives, traditional clay water pots, and carved screens.
Teaching tips
Classroom Implementation:
- Use the resource to teach evaporative cooling and connect it to the biology concept of evapotranspiration.
- Have students discuss how traditional or Indigenous knowledge, such as the use of matkas and jalis, is being adapted to address modern climate challenges, and identify similar examples from other cultures.
Extensions:
- Have students design a simple experiment demonstrating cooling through evaporation.
- Ask students to weigh the trade-offs between passive cooling and conventional air conditioning, considering energy use and the urban heat island effect.
- Discuss the idea of positive feedback loops with the example of extreme heat and air conditioning use.
Related Resources:
- Use this 9-minute video as a case of another Indigenous technology, in this case the Navajo hogan, that is optimized for cooling properties.
- Explore this article about heat pumps as another technology that can replace air conditioners and compare this strategy to terracotta passive cooling, noting tradeoffs.
From the scientist review
This resource explores passive cooling techniques in Delhi, India. The text is clear, with a wealth of external sources linked. The included video explores how traditional knowledge is used to address the climate challenges of today. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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