Wild 500-year-old pot could make us rethink how we heat and cool our homes

A Swiss designer has come up with an incredible home heating and cooling system inspired by a centuries-old concept.

In recent years, many people have been taking steps to cut their carbon footprint. 

As well as being better for the environment, renewable energy sources, such as DIY solar panels, can also cut your energy bills. 

But designer Salla Vallotton has shown that it isn’t only smart new tech that can help out when it comes to going green, and that there are older methods which still do the trick.

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The heating and cooling system has been dubbed Celcius

The heating and cooling system, dubbed Celcius, was developed by Vallotton at the  École cantonale d’art de Lausanne, or ÉCAL, in Switzerland. 

The unit is crafted out of terracotta, which is a naturally thermally efficient material. 

According to Yanko Design, Vallotton took some inspiration for Celcius from old tile-covered masonry heaters known as Kachelofen, which have been in use for at least 500 years. 

Rather than having to rely on more modern methods, like air conditioning units or fan heaters, Celcius uses the special properties of terracotta to heat or cool a room. 

Terracotta slowly absorbs heat and then gradually releases it, so during the winter months, it would be able to draw in heat from a small source and then push it back out into the room for hours after. 

And it could come in equally as handy in the summer, as terracotta also absorbs water, and when that water evaporates, it sucks in heat from the surrounding air, making the room cooler. 

“While heating systems are typically unused during the summer, Celcius explores how they could serve a dual purpose, integrating a passive cooling function, to extend their utility year-round,” a statement accompanying Celcius on the ÉCAL website reads.

It shows that traditional ideas can sit alongside more modern ones

As well as being a greener option, Celcius also looks cool and would make a real talking point in any room.

But sadly, you won’t be able to get your hands on one just yet. 

For now, Celcius is only a design concept, but it goes to show that when we’re thinking of ways to be more environmentally-friendly, it can pay to think outside the box. 

While modern technology is doing marvelous things when it comes to sustainability, it can also work hand-in-hand with more traditional methods and ideas. 

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