Climate Control

Temperierung

In the past, “low-tech” solutions such as passive cooling, natural ventilation, choice of material, etc., brought the indoor climate within an acceptable range of temperatures. Increasingly – however - demand calls for precise calibration at all times, especially in work environments.

Industry and standardizing agencies respond with ever more sophisticated technical solutions to stabilize indoor temperature at around 21°C (70°F) at any given time and in any given climate. These solutions affect all aspects of planning, construction, and operation of the built environment. Moving from house to car to office to shopping mall, it is becoming increasingly possible not to experience any unadulterated temperature.

This precision typically comes at great operational cost.

Lost in the process are the advantages that temperature ranges afford, particularly in a rapidly urbanizing world. What – in our daily lives – is left of an experience of nature? Everything we see is man-made, or at least man-touched.

Instead, architecture should cultivate a range of climate experiences. How - as a designer - can I introduce more sensory experience into the built environment.