ABSTRACT
Climate has always played a pivotal role in the formation of the built environment. For thousands of years, designers have used ingenuity and innovation to harness the natural forces of the sun, wind and temperature to provide thermal comfort and visual delight for occupants. In cold climates, windows or openings would be orientated towards the sun to capture passive solar gain for free heating. The rise of Modernism in the mid-twentieth century saw architectural design increasingly detached from its surroundings, often prioritising functionality and aesthetics over local climate, culture or context. Cold climates are typified by very cold winters with an average temperature in the coldest month below 0°C, and summer months ranging from cool to hot. These include cities such as Chicago, Beijing and Seoul. Temperate climates are similar in many respects, although milder, with cold-to-cool winters, warm-to-hot summers and mild intermediate seasons.
