Even though COVID-19 threw our teams for a loop, PineCool’s proposal was able to successfully be submitted. PineCool solves the “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” aspect of the design brief. We are looking forward to seeing how COVID-19 shapes the way we continue innovating.
PineCool
PineCool tackles the urban heat island (UHI) effect by coupling the effects of evaporative cooling with the accessibility of rainwater and sunlight to cool urban infrastructure. The bilayer of the collecting sill mimics the configuration of pinecone scales by utilizing a hygromorphic inner layer and passive exterior layer on the front panel of the apparatus. The hygromorphic inner layer expands when exposed to water, causing the passive outer layer to bend outward for water collection and the opposite in dry or low humidity conditions. Transpiration-like diffusion of water draws the collected rainwater into a cellulose membrane where it acts as a heat sink as it evaporates.