An ancient cooling technique paired with specialized 3D-printing technology may offer an affordable means for cooling millions.

Maybe you’ve already seen a video or listened to a podcast explaining how ancient civilizations across the arid lands of the Middle East have long used terracotta structures with water to create efficient evaporative cooling solutions, systems that neither require electricity nor create an iota of emissions. Large installations such as Ant Studio’s large natural air cooler have been built to showcase how the porous material paired with water can cool surrounding air by the process of evaporation, especially of interest across our dangerously warming planet.
But what about applying the same idea on a smaller scale, one suitable for a house or just a room" Simon Pavy and design agency Entreautre have set out to use that same principle in the form of a small vessel, using a customized 3D printer to create the Biomimcry 3D-Printed Terracotta Cooler.
Within a ceramic vessel no larger than a typical houseplant planter lies the secret of the Biomimcry’s cooling qualities: an intricate nest of looping volumes inspired by coral. The vessel is manufactured layer by layer using a special 3D printer customized by Dutch artist, Olivier Van Herpt. Instead of typical plastic filament fueling output, Van Herpt’s printer extrudes terracotta in filaments with the precision of a skilled pastry chef using a fine-tipped icing bag...