If you’ve ever experienced composting in action, you may know that things can get pretty hot when microbes meet organic material. So what if there was a way to capture all that heat and use it to warm up a cozy little space? Tokyo based architects Bakoko have come up with a circular pod-shaped teahouse that does just that by harnessing temperatures in excess of 120°F that are generated by compost. The designers are taking a simple, biological process and turning it into a viable (and free) way to heat small public spaces like the traditional garden teahouses found all throughout Japan.
Tentatively named “Comploo,” Bakoko‘s small structure is composed of a series of large, specially shaped compost hoppers arranged in a ring to form an enclosure. To feed the composter, garden waste, food scraps or other compost materials can be dropped in through a door at the top of each bin.
A system of sealed ducts runs through each of the bins, and as the air circulates within the walls, the decaying compost warms it. This heated air is in turn emitted through a central vent that releases into the structure’s interior. Occupants can comfortably sit along a circular bench surrounding the heat source, and enjoy the ambient natural light permeating through the transparent dome roof above.
That is incredibly ingeneous, if a little labour intensive. I wonder if you have to top up each compartment everyday in the middle of winter? It is a very beautiful idea.
“technical details” as in, they haven’t actually considered any part of its actual function yet.
People actually doing this: check out the Brown Mound in Vermont
http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/2009/10/02/energy-optimist-brown-mound-composting-heat-system-working-see-making-video
i love how it looks like a spaceship!
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