Modernism sought to bring a healthy uniformity to architectural design, in part through with clean lines and material minimalism. New technologies like air conditioning also allowed for an unprecedented level of global standardization in terms of temperature-controlled spaces. Of course, this often meant disregarding local traditions that had been successful for centuries (or longer). Among the regional strategies that got lost along the way was a seemingly small but critical factor: the variable heights of rooms humans build and occupy.

As a vernacular design critic who goes by Wrath of Gnon explains, “Before the International Style (modernism) in architecture, our ancestors knew how to adapt the room heights according to the climate, achieving maximum effect (comfort) for the least effort (energy). Today we trust in the grid and so build 8-9 ft rooms from Bermuda to Reykjavik.”

Ideally, the, in warm climates you want higher ceilings because “as hot air rises the difference in temperature at floor level and ceiling level in a tall room can be as much as 4 degrees [celcius] all other things being equal. Here, a comfortable looking gentleman in an 1817 room in Rome,” height around 15 feet. In Brazil, 15-foot homes were typical historically.

Conversely, in colder climates, lower ceilings meant higher temperatures. “Here are log houses from Russia and Sweden. The efficiently constructed fireplace created an interior draught that sucked fresh air in and expelled smoke, dust. Fans or mechanical ventilation not needed.”

In Japan, “with hot summers and relatively cold winters, a different technique was called for. Wooden houses allowed for perfect fine tunings of openings depending on exact climate and orientation. This traditional room built to maximize airflow, livable in summers without AC.”

In short: choosing the right materials, heights and orientations for a climate makes a big difference. “By building with nature and climate instead or regardless of it, by adapting our waking hours to the rhythm of the sun we can achieve remarkable levels of comfort—even superior—compared to what we have today in our modern homes built to international, industrial standards.”

A lot of architectural schemes start from scratch with the assumption that everything on the building site will be razed or removed, but for this office structure, the designers saved and raised up the robust greenery already occupying the lot.

In Da Nang, Vietnam’s fourth-largest city, Ho Khue Architects saw the resilient native plants as an opportunity to inform their overall approach and reduce their eco-footprint. Pampas grass, bamboo shrubs, banana trees and other types were evaluated for optimal relocation.

Some species were uprooted and replanted indoors, to visually warm concrete spaces and provide fresh air, set in pots and hung from ceilings.

Climbing varieties were offered purchase on the structures exterior, with lattices and other textured surfaces providing opportunities for growing vines.

Other plants were relocated to the rooftop, creating an outdoor garden while also serving as a thermal barrier to cool inside floors below.

Overall, the greenery sets up a nice contrast with concrete surfaces and minimal furnishings and fixtures, and operates in tandem with various passive cooling and ventilation strategies.

Per the architects: “Working in this modern office evokes feelings reminiscent of childhood and a time when life was simpler. The air flow is fresh from the sea leading to comfortable temperature without being cold. Today’s younger generation may have had little or no time in the countryside. This office has brought the spirit and the heart of the rural areas to the workplace.” For more inside-out (or: outside-in) designs, check out this collection of ten offices that have creatively incorporated greenery.

Thanks in part to heat-absorbing materials and colors, cities tend to be warmer than their natural surroundings, and in hot places with lots of dark roads like Los Angeles that can prove a serious public health hazard.The mayor has pledged to reduce temperatures in the city by 3 degrees over the next 20 years, in part by dealing with urban heat island effects in new and different ways.

As part of this promise to help make bring down temperatures for its millions of residents, LA is trying something that could dramatically change its urban landscape: repainting roads in white. The aim is to reflect rather than absorb heat and so far the results are extremely promising.

“We found that on average the area covered in CoolSeal is 10 degrees cooler than black asphalt on the same parking lot,” said Greg Spotts, the assistant director of the Bureau of Street Services for San Fernando Valley, an area with particularly severe heat problems.

It’s not just about open public spaces either: reducing exterior temperatures has impacts on adjacent interiors. Heat reductions outside and mean cooler spaces inside area homes and businesses. In turn, this can help residents and owners save on cooling costs. It also isn’t just a daytime problem: heat captured during the day is released into the night air, keeping things hotter around the clock.

The process doesn’t come cheap, however: each coat lasts for around seven years but prices out around $40,000 per linear mile. If it works, though, the cost could be offset in part by savings on other fronts, in addition to making for a more healthy metropolis all around. Meanwhile, other strategies are also in play — the city is looking to make roofs brighter, for instance, and bring more green into the mix. (via Inhabitat and L.A. Times, images by Greg Spotts and Giuseppe Milo).

Iranian architects have developed a Concave Roof system to collect rainwater in arid climates with low precipitation, helping cool buildings in hot and dry regions of the world. The water can in turn be filtered for drinking or integrated into interior graywater systems.

These systems help reduce reliance on artificial air conditioning (or work were it is unavailable). They could ultimately help keep people in their home regions who might otherwise have to move due to climactic changes.

BMDesign Studios’s addresses rapid evaporation with the bowl-shaped roof additions, designed to channel even the smallest amounts of accumulated rain, coalescing them into drops big enough to harvest before they evaporate.

These inverted shells also provide shade while allowing air to pass between upper and lower roofs, acting as a cooling system in the process.

Reservoirs tied into the system are situated between building walls to take advantage of the thermal capacity of the water to regular interior temperatures.

The courtyard and circulation spaces are also sunken to further cool the complex. Temperatures are higher and precipitation in parts of Iran is as much as 2/3 lower compared to global averages, so every drop counts.

Able to reduce cooling costs by up to 30% and heating expenses by as much as 60%, this series of temperature-regulating furnishings stores thermal energy without requiring an external power source, helping maintain room temperatures both during the day and at night.

Designed by Raphaël Ménard and Jean-Sébastien Lagrange, designs in this series such as the Climactic Table are composed of a combination of solid oak and corrugated aluminum with phase-change materials (PCM) sandwiched in between.

The wood contributes to desired thermal properties while the shaped aluminum provides structural support and conductivity. As a passive heating and cooling strategy, these objects can augment existing systems or replace them entirely in moderate climates.

A familiar phenomena in the realm of architecture, the idea of using materials to store and discharge heat or cold naturally is an old one. Stone, concrete or brick, for instance, are often placed to pick up warmth during the day then mitigate the temperature change at night, releasing that stored heat energy. While there is no specific control mechanism in play, such systems naturally create a level of equilibrium that reduces the next for external active (HVAC) systems.