Heatscape
Envisioning Future of Urban Heating
Duration
1 month / 2023
Project tags
Design Research, Systems Mapping, Horizon Scanning,
Design Fiction, Roadmapping
London’s urban landscape is dominated by dense buildings and paved surfaces, reducing natural cooling and creating temperature differences of up to 7°C between urban centres and greener areas.
Heatscape is a climate-responsive design integrating blue-green infrastructure, sensor networks and modular cooling to reduce urban heat. Using bat-assisted sampling, sensor-fitted cables and mobile cooling units, it detects and mitigates hotspots, enhancing urban resilience and public health.
This heat map of London’s urban heat island (UHI) effect reveals a 7°C temperature difference between the hottest urban centres and cooler suburban or park areas.
Dense buildings, concrete surfaces and heavy traffic trap heat, preventing natural cooling, while limited green spaces further exacerbate temperature retention. The warmest zones align with commercial districts and transport hubs, whereas parks and less developed areas remain significantly cooler.
The derived problem statement is:
‘How might we design inclusive, climate-responsive and equitable private and public spaces to enhance resilience against urban heating?’
This system map visualises the cascading effects of urban heating, highlighting its interconnected impact on infrastructure, economy, public health and the environment.
Documenting green roofs, passive cooling methods and natural insulation,
I examined how vernacular architecture adapts to extreme weather. This approach allowed me to analyse urban-rural interventions holistically, offering insights into integrating nature-based solutions into modern climate adaptation strategies.
This speculative newspaper imagines London 2045, facing extreme heat and infrastructure collapse from the Urban Heat Island effect. Styled like The Big Issue, it warns of a dystopian future.
This diagram outlines a strategic approach to mitigating urban heat through a combination of technological, ecological and infrastructural interventions.
It maps opportunities, benefits, pitfalls and key stakeholders, highlighting solutions such as blue-green infrastructure, mobile transects, overhead sensor networks and modular homes to create a more climate-resilient urban future.
Heatscape is a comprehensive urban adaptation strategy designed to tackle the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect by integrating data-driven solutions, nature-based interventions and community engagement. It envisions a multi-layered approach where emergency response, heat mitigation and long-term adaptation create climate-resilient cities that prioritise equity, efficiency and sustainability.
This diagram visualises Heatscape’s intervention framework, structured along a temporal and spatial scale, from immediate emergency cooling to long-term urban climate justice. The model incorporates biological-assisted heat monitoring using bats, AI-driven urban planning, modular cooling infrastructures and responsive housing solutions. By embedding smart heat tracking, community-driven adaptation and equitable access to cooling technologies, Heatscape aims to transform cities into climate-responsive environments capable of thriving under rising temperatures.
I propose using the Shearing Layers concept to design Resilient & Reactive Modular Homes that adapt to urban heat challenges. By structuring buildings into adaptable layers: Structure, Skin, Services, Space and Stuff, homes can dynamically respond to temperature shifts. A modular structure allows retrofitting of cooling solutions like green facades, while responsive skins integrate shading and heat-reflective materials. Smart cooling systems, overhead sensors and blue-green infrastructure help regulate heat. Flexible spatial layouts enhance ventilation and heat-resistant materials maintain cooler interiors. This approach ensures urban housing evolves dynamically, creating sustainable, heat-adaptive environments for greater climate resilience.
This diagram illustrates a multi-layered approach to mitigating urban heat by integrating Mapping, Monitoring, Maintaining and Modelling. It combines biological data (bats), AI-driven sensors and green infrastructure to track, regulate and predict temperature variations. By leveraging technology and nature, this system enhances urban resilience against rising temperatures.