How Chicago Solves its Overheating Problem



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Discover the innovative approaches Chicago has taken to beat the sweltering summer heat in this tour. Despite being notorious for its brutal winters, the city also faces scorching summers that pose deadly risks. Learn how design-related initiatives implemented after a devastating heatwave in 1995 have revolutionized the way Chicago keeps its citizens cool and safe. From green roofs that reduce indoor temperatures by 30–40°F to district cooling systems that save space, energy, and costs, this video explores a range of passive strategies that combat urban heat without relying solely on air conditioning. Join the journey and witness the remarkable ways Chicago stays cool!

Staying cool in a hot city isn’t just about cranking up the air conditioning; it’s about smart design choices that minimize environmental impact. Join us as we delve into the ingenious methods employed by Chicago to combat its sweltering summers. Discover how green roofs, with their insulating soil and vegetation, drastically lower indoor temperatures and even reduce city-wide ambient temperatures. Witness the transformative power of color and vegetation in keeping surfaces cooler and reducing energy demand. From the captivating Crown Fountain’s evaporation and convective cooling effects to the largest district cooling system in the US, these passive strategies demonstrate that cooling a city can be sustainable and efficient. Join us on this exploration and gain insights into the remarkable techniques that make Chicago a pioneer in urban coolness. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment sharing your thoughts on staying cool in hot climates!

Correction: 9:55 Oh no! It should not say motion graphics here.

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Stewart Hicks is an architectural design educator that leads studios and lecture courses as an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and is the co-founder of the practice Design With Company. His work has earned awards such as the Architecture Record Design Vanguard Award or the Young Architect’s Forum Award and has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Design Miami, as well as at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern in London. His writings can be found in the co-authored book Misguided Tactics for Propriety Calibration, published with the Graham Foundation, as well as essays in MONU magazine, the AIA Journal Manifest, Log, bracket, and the guest-edited issue of MAS Context on the topic of character architecture.

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36 thoughts on “How Chicago Solves its Overheating Problem”

  1. The Monadnock building is a great example of how we should look to the past if we truly want to be sustainable. People found ways to stay cool long before A/C was a thing. Bricks and earthen building materials are natural, durable and ecofriendly, and really effective at regulating humidity and temperature. Rammed earth buildings that were built hundreds of years ago are not only still standing but are still occupied in China, Iran, Morocco, Italy, Africa, and across the mediterranean. Many of these places dont use a/c because the building’s structural elements are often sufficient. Traditional building practices are time tested and should be embraced if we wish to be carbon neutral and sustainable.

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  2. Thanks for explaining how that cooling building near the Sears Tower works. When I was a tour guide I always had a hard time figuring out something to say besides "it cools buildings"

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  3. In 2019 as apart of the Old Post Office project a pipeline from production plant 2 was dug under the river to service new building like the BMO Harris tower on canal

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  4. The question have is bricks and other materials of the same mass is good at cooling but bricks are a problem a earth quakes hits. So where is the equilibrium between risk and cooling?

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  5. Oh yes Chicago a horrible place to live in a concrete jungle. The state screws small towns and cities in down state Illinois. Chicago
    gets the dollars at least downtown and the north side. Don’t go to the south side without your body armor and weapons. Downstate
    Illinois suffers while the crap city get the bulk of state spending. Downstate is like a depressed area. Looks like towns in the great
    depression. No industry and no jobs ! Kick Chicago out of the State ! Keep down state money down state !

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  6. Wait, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Where does the heat from the cooling station go? And why doesn’t it do the same thing as air conditioners?

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  7. Out west, we used to use Adobe brick to keep homes cool, but it's mostly been replaced by stucco. I'd love to find more resources on passive cooling in arid climates, maybe the Middle East has some insights on the matter.

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  8. If we ever build a house it will have a wrap-around covered porch, large exterior windows (shaded by roof over porch), interior transom windows, and a cupola up top to vent out hot air (with solar-powered fan to draw in air from the exterior windows, through the rooms, then hallway, into the center and then up the cupola.

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