Personalising climate control

"The earliest habitation technology was the grotto -- a natural alcove that humankind sought out for warmth, protection and sociability. There, we built the primordial hearth and until the 20th century, the fireplace would remain an architectural focal point, not only functional, but, as Frank...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Architectural review (London) 2015-04, Vol.237 (1418), p.112-113
Main Authors: Caludel, Matthew, Ratti, Carlo
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:"The earliest habitation technology was the grotto -- a natural alcove that humankind sought out for warmth, protection and sociability. There, we built the primordial hearth and until the 20th century, the fireplace would remain an architectural focal point, not only functional, but, as Frank Lloyd Wright argued, 'the psychological center of the home'. Yet over time, the evolution of the hearth became a story of liberating heat: from grotto to fire pit, from Victorian pipes to central heating and suburban thermostats, we have exerted ever more control over our local climates, until the commonalities of location and schedule have begun to fray." Includes descriptions of Local Warming, a personal climate control research project developed at the MIT Senseable City Lab, and Cloud Cast, developed by Carlo Ratti Associati.
ISSN:0003-861X