Eastgate Centre: Termite-Inspired Passive Cooling — Architect Mick Pearce, Eastgate Centre

Biological model: African termite (Macrotermes michaelseni)

Company: Architect Mick Pearce, Eastgate Centre

The Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe uses no conventional air conditioning, yet maintains a constant temperature year-round — modelled entirely on how African termites regulate heat inside their 3-metre mounds.

The challenge

Building climate control is energy-intensive; need for passive cooling systems that reduce mechanical HVAC requirements.

Nature's strategy

Termite mound internal ventilation and temperature regulation.

What was emulated

Convective cooling through internal cavities and thermal mass.

The innovation

Building ventilation and thermal mass design derived from termite mound principles.

Full case study

Termite mounds in the African savanna maintain an internal temperature of 31°C while outside temperatures fluctuate between 2°C at night and 40°C during the day. They achieve this through an elaborate system of vents that open and close to circulate air, expel heat, and take in cool air from underground. Architect Mick Pearce, working with engineers at Arup, designed the Eastgate Centre to mimic this system. The building uses a series of passive ventilation shafts, thermal mass in the concrete structure, and carefully positioned vents to draw cool night air upward through the building and flush out heat accumulated during the day. The result: the building uses 90% less energy for temperature control than conventional buildings of its size. It cost 10% less to build than a conventional air-conditioned building of the same floor area, and tenants pay 20% less in rent as a result of the reduced operating costs. This example is now taught in every architecture school that covers sustainable design, and has inspired dozens of buildings across hot climates in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.