Monish Siripurapu, founder and Principal Architect Ant Studio, Delhi has developed a cooling system inspired by the structure of a beehive .The bio mimicry-based earthen air cooler reduces the temperature and is an Eco-friendly alternative to contemporary cooling systems. The Ant Studio has won a start-up grant from UN Environment Asia-Pacific Low-Carbon Lifestyles Challenge and a grant of $10,000 by the UN Environment for Cool Ant – the innovative beehive cooler. .
“In India, heat wave is prevalent during summer season and the heat is so intense that it becomes difficult, especially for factory workers to be productive in their work. This is a general plight of the workers in the factories where an enormous amount of heat is released from the machines. Therefore, there was a dire need to come up with an economical solution to ease the burden of workers who face this perilous situation,” Says Monish Siripurapu founder and Principal Architect Ant Studio and the man behind the energy efficient innovative cooling system.
Terracotta Beehive inspired natural cooler
Siripurapu experimented with earth based products and the natural technique of evaporative cooling and successfully built for a DEKI Electronics factory, NOIDA a terracotta beehive inspired natural cooler. The low-tech, energy efficient, and artistic solution to the sweltering heat harnesses the power of evaporative cooling. “Inspired by the beehive the conical pots can be used both sides for cooling and even the negative spaces in between the pots, which after stacking facilitates the cooling process. Terracotta Pots are porous, robust and easy to maintain. The structural stability high and the cost is less. The aerodynamics has been designed with the help of Computational fluid dynamics analysis, blending art and nature with technology. The cool ant air cooling system designed in beehive pattern requires minimal electricity and water, since the water is re-circulated from a collection tank. Locally sourced Eco-friendly materials and recycled water along with re-usable steel makes it a cost-efficient solution and renders a low carbon footprint. For comparison, an average 1.5 tonne air conditioner takes 2-3 units per hour, whereas a fifteen feet tall and ten feet wide Beehive installation, with a cooling radius of 15 feet takes only 0.63 units per hour “he explains.
Bio mimicry is at the heart of Ant Studio as Siripurapu looks to nature for inspiration, either for form development or systems. The honeycomb-like structure made out of conical clay tubes reduce the temperature around the building naturally via evaporative cooling. “The form of the Beehive Cooling system is a series of conical, hollow terracotta pots stacked one on top of another like in a beehive. The circulated water on top of these pots is from a collection tank below. Traditionally pots for drinking water cool have been used since ancient times. The same principle in reverse order is used in ac where the air is passed through the wet hollow pots. The resultant air is cooler than the surrounding atmosphere by approximately 10-15 degree Celsius”, says Siripurapu who is a Bachelor in Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. He has done postgraduate study in Robotic Fabrication from Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), Spain.
He set up Ant Studio 2014, with an intent to work across the intersections of Art, Nature and Technology. “I and my team aim for technological gradation in the habitat through research in materials, computational design tools, energy efficient building systems etc. The diverse team includes architects, interior designers, artists, industrial designers, engineers from chemical, mechanical and electronics background, currently working to develop innovative designs in architecture and products, also focusing on earth based construction techniques that are sustainable and energy efficient and of creating issue sensitive solutions to meaningful problems through design and technology.”.
The Ant Studio has received national and International awards for Beehive cooling system. It was one of the 12 winners out of 180 start-ups from 22 countries, of the Asia Pacific Low Carbon Footprint Challenge 2018, organized by the UN Environment Programme. One of the 10 Winners of What Design Can Do 2019, Amsterdam funded by Ikea Foundation. It has also received a grant donated by the Ministry of Japan.Besides being a Gold winner at Foaid -The festival or Architecture and Interior Designing 2018 .
“Our core intent is to bridge between the spheres of Art, Nature and Technology, thus the name ‘ANT studio’. We aim for simplistic, intuitive design solutions, and use technology, whether it is computational design, robotics or mechanics, as a tool towards realizing the design. We work with sustainability as core principle and an opportunity to create designs that go beyond functional and aesthetic concerns, generating an intimate rendezvous between the products and nature”.
The ANT Studio is currently working on residential, commercial, art installations and interior projects with a focus on making buildings nature centric. “We are working towards an eco-systems where 60% of the build spaces to be without conditioning where we are promoting natural ventilation and passive cooling “.
Responsible Architecture need of the hour
The blend of nature and technology, along with sustainable, artistic forms is seen throughout Ant Studio’s works, like in the architecture of farmhouses in Delhi and Kerala (Anahat and Malampuzha farmhouse respectively), or in the design of the installations (Fern leaf inspired stair case for a residence and Wind wave – interactive building skin among others).
Architects have the responsibility towards the future of the habitats. “With good designs one can be Eco-sensitive and energy conscious. 40% of the energy produced is consumed by the building construction industry. We have to consider the impact of the built environment on nature and take care of the overall ecosystem… It’s high time that our education system teaches these values and make the new breed of architects ready for this paradigm shift, “he concludes.
