POOTS III: HEAT RECOVERY SAUNA
Want to help your body recover while recovering heat? Step on down to the Heat Recovery Sauna at the Citygroup Poots.
The Heat Recovery Sauna is a symbiotic mechanical ecosystem that inhabits the Poots as a testbed for utilizing energy that would otherwise become waste. Instead of being expelled as a byproduct, the latent heat produced by fridges inside the gallery is captured by a heat exchanger and fed to a CO₂ heat pump. Supported by the interior load's waste energy, the heat pump can then efficiently maintain hot water in an insulated tank to meet the demands of radiant flooring and a small exterior sauna.
This closed loop means the excess heat generated by the interior function is reused to maintain a circular flow of energy within the ecosystem. Alternative contexts the sauna could leverage include a greenhouse (we miss you Cactus Store!), a bodega, or a community fridge.
Location | Manhattan, NY
Category | Exhibition, Concept
Status | Complete [2025]
Team Name | Afterschool Function
Collaborator | Paul Greenway
Exhibition: Citygroup Poots III
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