An evaporative cooler is a device that cools air through the evaporation of water. Evaporative cooling differs from other air conditioning systems, which use vapor-compression or absorption refrigerat
An Egyptian qullah, set in drafts to cool interiors. Porous pottery and coarse cloth maximize the area for evaporation.
A salasabil cooling fountain (Red Fort, Delhi, India)
A traditional air cooler in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India
California ranch house with evaporative cooler box on roof ridgeline on right
A windcatcher, wind tower, or wind scoop is a traditional architectural element used to create cross ventilation and passive cooling in buildings. Windcatchers come in various designs, depending on wh
Evaporative cooler
…same benefits as mechanical evaporative cooling systems without the complexity of equipment and ductwork. An earlier form of evaporative cooling, the windcatcher, was first used in ancient Egypt and Persia thousands of years ago in the form of wind shafts on the roof. They caught the wind, passed it over…
An ab anbar (water reservoir) with windcatchers (openings near the top of the towers) in the central desert city of Yazd, Iran
Aghazadeh Mansion in Abarkooh, Iran, has an elaborate 18-m windtower with two levels of openings, plus some smaller windtowers.
Wind tower, exterior, Dubai Museum
The same interior. This wind tower has four openings and brown cloth vertical walls on the interior diagonals, so it can catch the wind from a range of directions.