TECA

About

TECA is a group proposal designed to offer low-cost and sustainable cooling solutions for humanitarian aid shelters in Northern Africa. The project is positioned in twenty years' time (2043), when global rising temperatures combined with the lack of a sustainable UNHCR-certified cooling solution will likely necessitate innovation within the field of sustainable cooling.

Designing for refugee camps imposed constraints on the project including being low-cost, easy to install and maintain. This also necessitated having a clear distribution plan supported by financial aid. This led to the adoption of the principle 'Advanced Technique over Advanced Technology'.

Humanitarian Exchange 2024

TECA is comprised of three subsystems: collection, filtration, and cooling.

1. Wastewater is collected throughout the camp.

2. The filtration system then improves this water quality using locally-sourced materials.

3. A new four-layered biodegradable composite material was proposed, heavily inspired by biomimicry and evaporative cooling.