Towers That Cool Without Power

Windcatchers are traditional architectural elements used across North Africa, West Asia, and South Asia. They create cross ventilation and passive cooling.

Designs vary based on whether local winds are unidirectional, bidirectional, or multidirectional. Square cross-sections are more efficient than round ones.

Some types called baudgir are multisided towers that can be closed in winter. A tower you can zip up for winter.

Baudgir are tall multisided towers.

In dry climates, windcatchers draw air over water for evaporative cooling. One experiment measured 30 air changes per hour.

Modern architects neglected windcatchers in the latter half of the 20th century. Some current designs use sensor-controlled parts.

Windcatchers are silent and continue working when electrical grid power fails.