Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Times Life
Times Life
Lifestyle
Aishwarya Kapoor

REVEALED: How termite architecture is teaching engineers ventilation and cooling design they never imagined - The Real Truth

The mound that outperforms your air conditioner

Macrotermes michaelseni, a termite species common across sub-Saharan Africa, builds mounds that can rise four to five metres above the ground and extend several metres below it. Inside, the colony maintains a temperature of roughly 30.5°C year-round. Outside, temperatures swing between 3°C at night and 42°C at midday. No thermostat. No electricity. No moving parts. The mound does it purely through architecture.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.