Air Conditioned : Architecture between Comfort and Climate Change

Our high demands for indoor thermal comfort increasingly contribute to climate change. For centuries, heating has been the primary driver of energy consumption in Europe and North America. In the 21st century, with global warming an undeniable fact, cooling indoor spaces has gained key importance. Conventional energy-intensive cooling systems, however, do not respond to usage patterns or to people’s individual sense of temperature and comfort, which is shaped by subjective, emotional, and cultural factors. The urgently needed shift in climate control for buildings demands we challenge common building practices: Who defines the standards for indoor thermal comfort? What costs are we willing to pay for our comfort? For whom do we provide comfort, and are we entitled to it? From diverse perspectives and on various scales, Air Conditioned explores the intertwined roles of architecture, technology, culture, and human sensibility in a rapidly warming world. It examines social, technical, ecological, and global impacts of thermal comfort and ways to adapt for a more inclusive, climate-responsive, and resilient future. It is also a call to action to all of us: we must become more active and aware as users of our buildings!