October 7, 2004

Commentary; Urban heat takes toll on elderly and unfit

Katherine Kaufer Christoffel urges architects to help solve the problem

A “hot” time in the city can turn deadly when it comes to heatstroke. In recent years, killer heat waves have taken their toll around the world from Chicago to Paris. And today’s contemporary urban landscape — from concrete buildings to dwindling green space — has only made matters worse, according to Katherine Kaufer Christoffel, professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine.

The courtyard at the School of Law is an example of a naturally ventilated space that provides cool comfort and shade during the summer.

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

A “hot” time in the city can turn deadly when it comes to heatstroke. In recent years, killer heat waves have taken their toll around the world from Chicago to Paris. And today’s contemporary urban landscape — from concrete buildings to dwindling green space — has only made matters worse, according to Katherine Kaufer Christoffel, professor of pediatrics and preventive medicine.

In an online article at ArchitectureWeek.com this summer, Christoffel, also director of the Center for Obesity Management and Prevention at Children’s Memorial Research Center, appealed to architects to address the growing public health concern.

The beginning of the article follows:

On a recent trip to Havana, Cuba, I observed colonial architecture with characteristic thick adobe walls and naturally ventilated courtyards that were cool and comfortable, in marked contrast to the hot and humid conditions outside the building.

There is also a marked contrast between this venerable architecture and the typical glass buildings in modern cities, which almost seem designed to deliberately bake their residents in the summer. We are endangered by the many contemporary buildings that actually promote heat accumulation and impede the dissipation of heat and humidity.

As a physician with an interest in public health, I have been observing how the built environment affects thermal well-being. Every summer more Americans die from heat than from more publicized natural disasters, such as earthquakes or floods. In 2003, about 12,000 people died in Europe during a two-week heat wave.

I believe architects should take more seriously the responsibility for building — and rebuilding — our cities to reduce the public-health consequences of summer heat. Traditional architecture is a rich source of useful solutions for minimizing and dissipating heat in non-air-conditioned buildings.