Lowtech solutions for indoor climate adaptation

Lowtech solutions for indoor climate adaptation

All around the world, global warming causes unpredictable weather patterns, such as frequent and intense heatwaves, which brings new challenges in relation to indoor climate. Those who can afford it, tend to turn to energy intensive solutions such as air conditioning, which further aggravates the climate crisis and warming of urban environments. In northern regions, such as the Netherlands, energy demand typically rises during winter months to heat homes, schools, and other buildings, but this is also running to its limits. Rising energy costs, the depletion of natural resources, geopolitical tensions, and increasing awareness of the ecological impact, calls for a different approach towards indoor climate and comfort. 

This compact workshop therefore departs from the realisation that it will not be possible to permanently keep the indoor temperature of all buildings to a comfortable 20 degrees celcius. The costs as well as the carbon footprint, especially when using high-tech solutions, will simply be too high. This recognition also raises deeper questions about the very notion of comfort: something many take for granted, while others have never had the privilege of experiencing it. Luckily, we do not have to rely on expensive, high-tech systems. There are simple, affordable, and low-tech solutions that can make our indoor environments more comfortable — and ensure that thermal comfort will be accessible for all in the years to come. In this workshop we’ll explore what this could mean for buildings in Rotterdam and other places around the world. 

This workshop builds on a longstanding collaboration between CLUSTER, AP+E and Loom, and their research on low-tech climate adaptations for housing in Cairo's informal neighbourhoods. In this workshop, their experience and insights, as well as their broader theoretical framework concerning the need for a cultural shift when it comes to standards around comfort, will be discussed and translated to the context of Rotterdam. Expect expert meetings, lectures, project visits and brainstorming creative solutions for a case study.

People involved

About Omar Nagati (Cluster)
Omar Nagati is co-founder of CLUSTER (Cairo Lab for Urban Studies, Training and Environmental Research) Founded in 2011, as a platform for urban research, architecture, art, and design initiatives, he aims at establishing a space for critical urban discourse and design practice, negotiating the blurred boundaries between formal/institutional regulations and everyday urban informality.

About Jeffrey Bolhuis (AP+E)
Jeffrey Bolhuis is an Architect and co-founder of AP+E an office for architecture and research based in Ireland and The Netherlands. The practice is driven by a strong interest in the social and cultural value of architecture, working internationally on a wide range of public, cultural & educational projects as well as urban and regional development studies and research projects. Prior to founding AP+E Jeffrey gained valuable experience whilst working in offices such as OMA (Rotterdam) FKLarchitects (Dublin) and Studioninedots (Amsterdam)

About René Boer
René Boer is an urban critic, curator and organizer in and beyond the fields of architecture, design, heritage and the arts. He is part of LOOM - Practice for Cultural Transformation, where together with Katía Truijen, Mark Minkjan, Michiel van Iersel and Radna Rumping, he facilitates conversations, conducts research, curates exhibitions and public programmes, publishes books, consults organisations and develops shared learning experiences. Rene is also part of Failed Architecture and has been involved in various urban social movements and art, architecture and design schools in Amsterdam and beyond.

Programme

Wednesday 26 November
19:00 - 21:00 Expert Meeting: A presentation on the insights of the project "Empowering the Informal City - Climate Justice in Cairo's Self-Built Neighbourhoods" followed by a conversation with different experts.

Thursday 27 November
10:00 - 12:30 Introduction lecture on Rotterdam and various historical and contemporary projects on lowtech heating and cooling solutions.
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 - 17:30 Excursion along different inspirational projects.

Friday 28 November
10:00 - 18:00 Work on case study: developing different lowtech climate solutions in Rotterdam with Superuse Studio.