Unit 3 BIOMIMICRY: A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION?

2-B/ The Eastgate Centre

Termite-inspired Air Conditioning Eastgate

(Harare, Zimbabwe) uses only 10% of the energy of
a conventional building its size, saved 3.5 million
in air conditioning costs in five years, and has rents
that are 20% lower than a newer building next door.

Pearce’s design process begins with a study of the microclimate of the site where the building will be built.
He studies what happens during different seasons with a strong focus on wind and sun patterns in order to
construct a building that is site-specific.

The Eastgate Centre, an office and shopping complex in Harare, is a case in point. For the design of this
building he studied the way in which termites build and regulate the temperature in their mounds. He
employed a similar system of circulating air through a series of vents and chimneys in order to heat or cool
the building instead of installing conventional air conditioning.

His work in China saw him designing an office block made from discarded shipping containers. The
building is not only environmentally friendly but also addresses the issue of recycling millions of unwanted
and discarded containers in the country.

“Mick Pearce: The Potential For Africa Is Huge”, Designindaba.com, 2013

A- Look at the picture, imagine what the

specialist invented.
He may have invented + GN
He may have invented a way to + VB

B- Find the equivalents of the following words in the article.

1) abandoned (adj.): 3) problem (n.):
2) hills (n.):
C- True or false?
1) Mick Pearce never studies the area where his building will be built.
True False
2) Termites are able to regulate the temperature in their mounds.
True False
3) The Eastgate Centre is equipped with conventional air conditioning.
True False
4) Another of Mick Pearce’s projects involved recycling containers.
True False
D- 1) What are the advantages of the Eastgate Centre’s air conditioning system?

2) Would this system work in Europe? Why or why not?