MArch Studio Spring 2025, Human Intelligence Program, University of Hong Kong
Teachers: Jersey Poon (with Joshua Bolchover and Kent Mundle)
Humans possess the ability to shape their environment to meet their needs and adapt to natural conditions, ultimately creating spaces that offer comfort and functionality. Through a constant process of learning, building, and adapting, passive strategies responsive to our climate have been developed prior to the introduction of technology. This studio defines Human Intelligence as these inherited logics for climate-responsiveness in architecture, as well as the architect’s ability to translate these to create new spatial and programmatic opportunities.
The number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing exponentially. Buildings need to work harder to keep up with this increasing challenge to keep us comfortable, with as minimal emissions as possible. In developed regions, this means implementing minimum performance standards and energy codes, along with an increased adoption of efficient and renewable building technologies, and push to develop and select less materials with less embodied carbon. However, in emerging regions that face rapid urbanization, these are less attainable in the urgency to build as cheaply and as quickly as possible. At the same time, these populations tend to be the most vulnerable and lack the ability to adapt to the effects of extreme weather events, such as heat exposure.