Passive Cooling with Terracotta Furniture
by Maxine Franz
Terracotta furniture design, showing details of its modularity and a sectional view showcasing the terracotta structure filled with water.
Project Description
In the contemporary context, where air conditioning is the predominant means of cooling spaces, there is significant potential for low-energy, sustainable design to address the urgent need to reduce energy consumption while improving urban liveability in hot climates. Terracotta, beyond its evaporative cooling properties, provides an opportunity to develop visually appealing and unobtrusive methods of cooling spaces through its integration into furniture design, particularly for public seating areas.
The proposed product is a modular bench system crafted from terracotta, designed for use in privately owned public spaces within urban settings. This design offers a solution for urban heat by leveraging passive cooling as a natural, low-energy alternative. The scalable furniture system induces an evaporative cooling effect by the movement of water through porous unglazed terracotta, featuring a vertical structure suitable for homing plants. In navigating the evolving landscape of environmental consciousness, the intersection of sustainable design and passive cooling solutions offers a promising trajectory toward a more energy-efficient and aesthetically pleasing built environment.
A sectional view from the front of the terracotta divider. Water from inside moves through the porous, unglazed terracotta walls, evaporates, and is transformed into water vapor by the heat of the air. This reaction absorbs heat from the surrounding air, cooling the water, the material itself, and thus the air in the surrounding space.
The bench system is fastened together by four bolts in each base & two central rods which run through each terracotta module.
The terracotta bench system displayed in use, providing outdoor seating at an open-air café.
Bio
Maxine is a product designer that finds joy in seamlessly merging problem-solving with artistic expression. The synergy of creativity and innovation in design drives her passion, inspiring her to create innovative product solutions conveyed through thoughtful design. Whether crafting physical models or utilising CAD for prototyping, the process is consistently rewarding. Her career aspirations are centred around contributing to the creation of a sustainable, considered, and aesthetically pleasing world through design.
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