This bamboo cooling device combats climate change as a sustainable alternative to modern AC units!





French multidisciplinary firm AREP developed an alternative, energy-efficient cooling device out of bamboo as a sustainable, low-tech, and affordable means for cold air.

The ongoing threat of climate change has spurred many designers to action. Facing the imminency of prolonged storms, flooding, and recurrent heatwaves, coastal cities, and dry areas are especially vulnerable to the effects of our changing climate.

Vietnam is particularly affected by heatwaves, the city’s most chronic and cyclic of climate events. With excessive heat increasing the need for cold air, air conditioning units are constantly taking great amounts of energy to cool the city down and leaking coolant gas in the process, directly fueling the climate crisis.

Following cues from the Seoul Architecture and Urbanism Biennale 2021 “building the resilient city,” French multi-disciplinary firm AREP designed an alternative, energy-efficient cooling device for a sustainable, low-tech, and affordable solution to combatting the climate crisis. Forming a hyperboloid shape for structural stability, the cooling device stands as a bamboo tower that naturally cools air through the adiabatic principle by using, “the natural freshness of water.”

Explaining the cooling process, architects behind the bamboo tower describe, “To evaporate, water needs energy, which is ‘absorbed’ from the heat of the ambient air, thus generating the cooling effect.” More simply, the firm reasons that the process can be compared to moving closer to an open-air pool on a summer day–the closer you get, the cooler the air feels.

Inspired by the city’s local craftsmanship, the hyperboloid bamboo structure is stationed in Hanoi, Vietnam, where craft villages specialize in bamboo, silk, and pottery, among other trades. Relying on sustainable building and operation methods, AREP designed a cooling device that can be built responsibly from abundant, local resources.

Depending on the adiabatic principle for function, the bamboo tower features a grid of main poles that transfer water through gravity. Then, “at its center is installed a blower taking the hot air from above and pushing it down at human height. As it crosses the water twice, the air is naturally cooled by the adiabatic principle.”

Upon developing their own BIM parametric digital model for prototype phasing, AREP envisions the alternative cooling device in dryer climates, like near the Mediterranean basin or in the gulf, for public squares, sunny pedestrian streets, and larger buildings like train stations.

Designer: AREP

The post This bamboo cooling device combats climate change as a sustainable alternative to modern AC units! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This compact, energy-efficient personal air-conditioner uses water and wind to keep you cool and breezy





Created to mimic the effect of an ocean breeze, but indoors, the evaCHILL is a tiny air-cooler that’s small enough to be carried around the house, cools + purifies the air, and consumes less energy than a table fan.

Evaporative cooling isn’t really new. It’s literally existed for billions of years – or as long as sweat-pores have. We sweat and our body cools down as the sweat evaporates; it’s simple, effective, and requires hardly any energy. The evaCHILL builds on this nifty technique with its portable evaporative cooler. Pour water into its reservoir and the evaCHILL uses a built-in fan to help create a cool mist that can bring down temperatures by as much as 6 degrees.

Designers: Eugene Dubovoy & Vladimir Levitin of Evapolar

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EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

The evaCHILL compact size and footprint make it perfect for personal cooling. Unlike an AC that guzzles electricity to cool an entire room, evaCHILL cools YOU instead. Small enough to be placed on a desk or a bedside table, the air-cooler creates a fresh and chilly microclimate around you that’s a couple of degrees cooler than your surroundings. A button on top lets you control the cooler’s fan speed, while an ambient blue light on the sides helps you see the water level within the evaCHILL’s reservoir.

EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

A lid on top lets you access the evaCHILL’s reservoir, pouring water in whenever it runs out. The reservoir holds enough water for a couple of hours of cooling, and a clever hack to reduce the temperature even further is to just pour water from the fridge into the evaCHILL. As the water evaporates, it’s combined with filtered air that’s pushed out the front, creating a cool breeze. The evaCHILL’s internal air filter uses a patented inorganic material that traps particles, dust, and allergens while preventing the growth and accumulation of bacteria and molds. Unlike most air purifiers/conditioners that require you to change the filters with time as they get dirty/moldy, the evaCHILL’s filters stay sterile even after months of use.

EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

The entire device stands at less than 7-inches tall, yet it can cool an area of 45 sq. ft. Roughly the proportions of a smart speaker, the evaCHILL weighs 26-ounces and comes with a nifty handle to carry it around. It consumes just 7.5W of power too, which is a stark reduction compared to air conditioners that can easily consume 1000W, and charges via USB, allowing you to plug it into a power bank or even in your car charging-outlet for portable anywhere cooling!

EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

EvaCHILL - Portable Personal Air Cooler Humidifier & Purifier

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