City, Climate, and Architecture - Rethinking Subtropical Vienna

The seminar aimed at rethinking climate control – a key concern of the discipline of architecture – through the lens of city climate and climate change phenomena. Architecture’s one-sided obsession with controlling the indoor climate of individual buildings was questioned and the (thermal) dialectics between inside and outside examined instead. Climate has become a multiscalar topic, that requires a new understanding by architects.

Highlighted in particular were the manifold implications of the notion of “urban climate” for architecture and urban design. Due to its man-made character, the city climate differs fundamentally from the natural climate. By looking at the historical emergence of this concept since the beginning of the 20th century (as urban climatology) and the complex adaptation in the field of architecture and urban design, a robust architectural knowledge for today’s discussions on the “climate adaptation and mitigation” was provided.

After an introduction into the history of modern architecture and urban planning striving for new “climate cities,” case studies and methods with particular relevance for today’s architects were addressed. The seminar shed light on the growing capacities of urban societies to provide urban climatic data (via thermal measurements, wind tunnel modelling, simulation techniques), while at the same time highlighting evidence-based design strategies referring to urban climates (such as heliomorphism).

Relying on these theoretical approaches, the city of Vienna served as a main case study for the students. Heating and cooling practices connecting to urban microclimates were explored and climate-related strategies on various scales (considering groups of buildings, green spaces, urban topography etc.) discussed.

Guest Speakers:
Florencia Collo (Atmos Lab, London)
Katja Jug (Artist, Zurich)
Dr. Lorenzo De Chiffre (TU Vienna)
Maria Vassilakou (Former Vice-Mayor of Vienna)
Dr. Michael Hirschbichler (Architect, Zürich)

Field Trip:
Virtual field trip to Vienna, broadcasted online to the students

Group Members:
Gabrielė Dužinskytė
Norman Nager
Léna Carola Reesink
Marie Sieber
Varvara Sulema
Cristian Amadeo Termine

Group Members:
Rui Chen
Luigi Chierico
Vittorio Alfredo Maria Chiesa
Luca Huttenmoser
Alessandro La Porta
Carlo Valli
Micaela Vergari

Group Members:
Veronica Irene Bissanti
Maria Bonazzi
Francesca Cazzulani
Ulisse Iacopi
Paola Rapanà
Tahnee Rutter
Maria Trombetta