Biomimetic Building Uses Termite Mound As Model
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 08. 7.06
The Eastgate Centre is a shopping centre and office block in central Harare, Zimbabwe. The building was designed to be ventilated and cooled entirely by natural means — it was biomimetically modeled on local termite mounds. It was probably the first building in the world to use natural cooling to this level of sophistication.
Because of its altitude, Harare has a temperate climate despite being in the tropics, and the typical daily temperature swing is 10 or 14° C. This makes a mechanical or passive cooling system a viable alternative to artificial air-conditioning. But long before the building was created, passive cooling was being used by the local termites. Termite mounds include flues which vent through the top and sides, and the mound itself is designed to catch the breeze. As the wind blows, hot air from the main chambers below ground is drawn out of the structure, helped by termites opening or blocking tunnels to control air flow.
Via: Z + Partners
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Terminal Mound? We have one of these behind the school where we throw all the old computers (before recycling, of course). I think you mean termite mound, yes? ;)
I'm stoked that we finally featured this building - it's incredible.
Isn't there one in Dubai that does the same thing for heating and cooling?
I'm sure that there is a lot more about design that we can learn from nature
This is an awesome little project. I hope that it succeeds.
Would we be able to get a follow-up on the performance of the building?
the building is just superb, I have just been there.Harare is just a jewel, despite problems.
Heartbreakingly ironic location for such forward-thinking ideas as even now, prime minister Mugabe appears to be purposefully driving his own people into starvation and training children to kill (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/3479353.stm)
If you follow the money, you find the client that commissioned this amazing building is City Centre Properties (Pvt) Ltd, which is owned by Old Main. Old Main, a financial company, is named along with Barclays and others as having provided loans to keep Mugabe’s regime alive, e.g. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2000349,00.html#article_continue.
Even the architect of this brilliant project (who has designed many buildings in Zimbabwe) has to work outside of Zimbabe because of the political climate: http://www.corenetglobalausnz.com/Text/1176773185461-3916/pC/1141013992186-5167/ (interview with architect)