Using bamboo shavings and mycelium, the tiles serve as a “proof of concept” for cooling buildings without electricity.

The elephant skin design was slower to absorb heat, keeping the flat underside cooler, and that flat side also cooled more rapidly. In simulated rain tests, droplets of water were held in the tile ...

Building on this proven insulating property, the NTU Singapore team worked with local ecology and biomimicry design firm bioSEA to add a bumpy, wrinkly texture to the tile, mimicking an elephant’s ...