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Architecture and urbanism were traditionally based on climate and health, with exposure to wind and sun, and variations in temperature and humidity influencing the forms of cities and buildings. These fundamental aspects of urban planning and architecture were largely ignored in the second half of the 20th century due to the widespread use of fossil fuels, which have contributed to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

The fight against climate change now compels architects and urban designers to seriously reconsider climatic factors in their designs, emphasising greater consideration of the local climate and energy resources. In the face of the 21st century’s climatic challenges, we propose resetting our discipline to focus on its intrinsic atmospheric qualities. Air, light, heat, and humidity are real building materials, and convection, thermal conduction, evaporation, emissivity, and effusivity should become design tools for shaping architecture and cities. Through dialectical materialism, we can revolutionise aesthetic and social values.

Philippe Rahm is the 2024 Treseder Fellow at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, and we are grateful for the generous ongoing support of the Robert Garland Treseder Fellowship.

Episode 1: The threat to our global public institutions

The first in a new series by the University of Melbourne to encourage informed respectful discussion around the critical issues of our times.

As the world faces escalating political crises, and society grapples with many complex issues, the need for informed, rational, and respectful dialogue is essential.

Please join us in person or online for our new series In Pursuit of Knowledge, where a panel of experts will lead an informed and considered discussion around the critical issues of our times.

The series kicks off on Thursday 29 August by asking, are our global public institutions failing us?
With the world in seemingly endlessly escalating crises, what role do our global public institutions such as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice play?
Do our global public institutions have any real powers, and are they able to manage conflict in the way in which they were designed?

Hosted by broadcaster and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow Jon Faine the series will invite experts in their fields across a range of areas to discuss the important global issues facing our society.