Project description by jury

The Hydroculus is an organic-shaped prototype for building cooling that uses hydroscopic materials and radiant heat transfer geometries. Its elongated structure is constituted by waffle ribs covered with a photonic membrane that reflects shortwave solar heat and emits longwave radiant cooling stored in the embedded thermal mass. A hydrogel membrane positioned at the top of the system stores water at a specific percentage to induce a proportional evaporative cooling and downdraft rate. It is connected to water supply tanks at the base that are linked to a desiccant water vapor recovery system at the edges. Water is supplied with small tubing and peristaltic pumps powered by photovoltaics.

Through these evaporative and radiant mechanisms, the Hydroculus reduces cooling energy ten-fold, while increasing comfort and health. Evaporative cooling provides constant cool temperatures within the pavilion during the day. During the night, the thermal mass encapsulated in the modules of the pavilion’s skin is radiated upwards, creating a cold radiant envelope for additional cooling during the day.  

Jury appraisal

The global energy demand for the cooling of buildings is projected to surpass that of heating by mid-century. The over-cooling of homes and offices is a diffuse cause of discomfort for occupants, and also constitutes a major contribution to building energy consumption worldwide. This is the reason why providing new sustainable cooling modes can be revolutionary. The Holcim Awards jury North America particularly commended the manner in which the authors successfully combined engineering and an interesting design. While results from the research underpinning the project were very promising, the jury recommended further extrapolation of the methodology for integrating the system into a building. The authors are on track to achieve a functioning prototype and to test a system that has a great potential to be patented.