Two young students from the Zurich University of the Arts, Andrin Stocker and Luc Schweizer, have created an innovative modular terracotta brick, called “Bloc,” that has been confirmed to reduce temperatures by up to 9°C in unshaded urban areas. The invention offers a simple, sustainable solution to the growing problem of “urban heat islands” and has earned the students a spot as a finalist in the prestigious James Dyson Award.
The Bloc brick is not a purely modern invention but is deeply rooted in ancient passive cooling techniques. Its creators drew inspiration from the evaporative cooling of terracotta jars, the temperature-regulating architecture of termite mounds and the ventilating design of Middle Eastern Badgir (wind catchers). They further incorporated principles from cactus geometry to minimize the surface’s direct exposure to the sun.
The brick itself is made of 3D-printed porous terracotta and operates through a highly effective, self-sufficient system. The porous clay absorbs water and as hot air flows through the module, the water evaporates, cooling the surrounding space. To maintain efficiency even in humid conditions the system uses small fans and water pumps powered entirely by a compact solar panel that generates around 200 Wh per day, making the brick fully autonomous.
While a module may consume about 50 liters of water on an extremely hot day, it can be replenished via city infrastructure or its integrated rainwater collection system, which gathers an average of 24 liters daily.
Beyond its cooling power which requires no refrigerant gases or traditional electricity the Bloc brick is designed for flexibility and wide application. It is modular, allowing it to be grown both in height and width without sacrificing efficiency, and its ability to store its own water overcomes a common limitation of other passive cooling methods.
The creators envision the Bloc as an ideal solution for cooling highly exposed areas such as public transport stops, plazas, school courtyards, and unshaded parts of cities with potential future applications on building facades or in cooling large industrial warehouses.
While prototypes have been developed the project next crucial phase involves real-world field testing to verify its long-term performance across different climate conditions and to refine its design and installation simplicity before it can be expanded into a widespread urban and industrial context.