Team Prototype Assembly
Our team working collaboratively to assemble the terra-cotta pipe system within a hexagonal enclosure, demonstrating the non-electric water pump system and PVC pipe water transport mechanisms.
Climate Resilience Project | Global Studios Research
University of Richmond | Richmond, Virginia
Our team working collaboratively to assemble the terra-cotta pipe system within a hexagonal enclosure, demonstrating the non-electric water pump system and PVC pipe water transport mechanisms.
Develop and implement ancient terra-cotta pipe evaporative cooling systems to address urban heat islands and enhance climate resilience in Richmond, Virginia. This innovative project combines traditional indigenous knowledge with modern sustainability practices, following the model of An Liu's Helper Initiative to plan and prepare proposals for community beautification, city climate resilience grants, and data-driven responses to improve environmental impact statements.
Our project team includes Bobby Zeng, Yvonne Donkor, Kate Flanagan, Charlotte Donelan, Jason Yoo, and Professor Michael Marsh-Soloway, working alongside Mary Finley-Brooke, Mariela Mendez, Patricia Herrera, Alicia Diaz, Nathan Snaza, and guest speakers of the Humanities Center.
Indigenous design has evolved over untold millennia to bring forth anonymous innovations that have helped to preserve, satisfy, and advance the needs, wants, and dreams of human civilization. This project draws inspiration from these ancient technologies to create sustainable cooling solutions for modern urban environments.
The Powhatan and Algonquin tribes perfected companion growing and crop rotation cycles in the "Three Sisters" method—simultaneously growing maize, beans, and squash. The corn stalk serves as a trellis for climbing beans, which preserve nitrogen in composite root systems, while squash leaves provide groundcover and shade that preserve soil moisture. The Tillamook and Umpqua peoples deployed permaculture infrastructure for animal enclosures, fish farms, and domiciles using living willow branch fences that strengthen with age.
Inhabitants of ancient Persia devised ingenious badgir structures to cool buildings by directing wind currents to residential interiors, and underground cistern-aqueducts called qanats that allowed people to store and transport water over great distances. They even created ice in harsh desert climates through cleverly integrated Yakhchāl structures that facilitate convection cooling. These systems, dating back to 500 BCE, are still used by local populations today.
Engineers of the Mughal Empire developed analog air conditioning systems that produced evaporative cooling for temperature control by circulating water across the openings of terra cotta pipes. Water was pumped ingeniously without electricity, through air pumps, pressure-differential systems, and modifications to Heron's Fountain, promoting the intentional integration of rivers, rain basins, and lakes in urban infrastructure.
As Dr. Lyla June explains in her 2023 TED Talk "3000-Year Old Solutions to Modern Problems," indigenous land management techniques demonstrate how to take incrementally only what one needs and leave the rest. This mentality facilitated sustainable stewardship practices that allowed both nature and human populations to flourish in symbiosis. Our status as consumers should always coincide with our shared prerogative to serve as stewards of nature.
Ancient Innovations
Badgir, Qanats, Yakhchāl, and Terra-Cotta Cooling SystemsOur terra-cotta pipe systems operate entirely through natural processes—no electricity required. Water evaporation creates cooling effects, reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint. This follows ancient Persian and Mughal Empire designs that used passive cooling convection.
The system uses minimal water through controlled evaporation, similar to ancient qanat systems. Water is recirculated where possible, and the porous nature of terra-cotta ensures optimal water usage without waste.
By reducing urban heat islands, these systems help mitigate the effects of climate change in local communities, creating more livable urban environments. Our empirical observations align with climate research from Hoffman et al. (2017) and ClimateCentral.org.
Terra-cotta is a natural, locally-sourced material that is durable, recyclable, and has minimal environmental impact compared to synthetic cooling alternatives. This approach recognizes and honors ancient methods while adapting them for modern use.
Our development process involves careful design, mold creation, and assembly of the complex terra-cotta pipe system. The prototype showcases our team working collaboratively to assemble the pipe shelving structure within a hexagonal enclosure, demonstrating the non-electric water pump system and PVC pipe water transport mechanisms.
Terra-Cotta Pipe Structure
500+ custom-designed porous pipes for optimal evaporationNon-Electric Water Pump
Air differential & hydraulic ram pump systemsPVC Pipe Water Transport
Pressure-differential system for water circulationPipe Shelving Structure
Two-tiered metal rack system for organized assemblyFuture Installations
Planned expansion to parks, factories, warehouses, and public squares