How can cities adapt to rising temperatures while remaining livable, equitable, and resilient? This question is at the heart of “Staying Cool – Designing for the Heated City,” a public symposium organized by the Institute of Architecture at FHNW on September 15, 2026. The event marks the launch of the institute’s 2026/27 academic theme Staying Cool, which explores the transformative potential of cities in the face of increasing urban heat and a growing global population.
As part of the symposium, Matthias Rudolph will present his lecture “Comfort Strategies Beyond A/C.” Drawing on projects such as the low-tech buildings in Damascus and Singapore, he will demonstrate how thermal comfort can be achieved without relying on conventional air-conditioning systems. Instead, these projects leverage climate-responsive design, local environmental conditions, and passive strategies to create comfortable indoor environments.
The symposium brings together experts from architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, climate science, and related disciplines to discuss how cities can respond to the realities of a warming climate. As global temperatures continue to rise, the challenge is no longer whether climate change will affect our built environment, but how quickly and to what extent cities must adapt. Against this backdrop, the event explores design approaches that combine established knowledge with innovative technologies to create future-proof, inclusive, and resilient urban environments.
These questions are central to Transsolar’s work. Creating comfortable spaces with minimal energy use requires an integrated understanding of climate, architecture, and human comfort. Through his presentation, Matthias Rudolph will share examples of how such strategies can already be implemented successfully in diverse climatic contexts.
Further information about the symposium can be found here.
The symposium is open to the public.