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Thermal Delight in Architecture
Our thermal environment is as rich in cultural associations as our visual, acoustic, olfactory, and tactile environments. This book explores the potential for using thermal qualities as an expressive element in building design. Until quite recently, building technology and design has favored high-energy-consuming mechanical methods of neutralizing the thermal environment. It has not responded to the various ways that people use, remember, and care about the thermal environment and how they associate their thermal sense with their other senses. The hearth fire, the sauna, the Roman and Japanese baths, and the Islamic garden are discussed as archetypes of thermal delight about which rituals have developed—reinforcing bonds of affection and ceremony forged in the thermal experience. Not only is thermal symbolism now obsolete but the modern emphasis on central heating systems and air conditioning and hermetically sealed buildings has actually damaged our thermal coping and sensing mechanisms. This book for the solar age could help change all that and open up for us a new dimension of architectural experience. As the cost of energy continues to skyrocket, alternatives to the use of mechanical force must be developed to meet our thermal needs. A major alternative is the use of passive solar energy, and the book will provide those interested in solar design with a reservoir of ideas.
96 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 5, 2019
If you want to indulge in a short and pleasant survey of the ways humans alter buildings and spaces to create physically and spiritually important space, then here's your book.
The book points a finger at something many of us may miss, despite being unaware we don't possess it: a sacred relationship to some space, and the feeling of being a creature in the world
The book points a finger at something many of us may miss, despite being unaware we don't possess it: a sacred relationship to some space, and the feeling of being a creature in the world
March 19, 2024
Really interesting topic and argument made by the author. While I don’t fully agree with it, it definitely made me evaluate the I experience temperature on a daily basis. The book also contains a lot of very interesting cultural anecdotes relating to each chapter. It’s very obvious the author was passionate about her work.
I felt the last chapter contained several tangents that, while somewhat related to the overall argument, went a bit long. I found this chapter to be incredibly difficult to get through, while the others were engaging throughout.
Still, it is always fun to read the work of an author who is passionate about her work. The aforementioned cultural anecdotes make it an engaging experience, allowing the reader to learn about other cultures and also understand connections between customs and thermal qualities in his own culture.
I recommend reading this book. It’s a quick and engaging read on a topic that we all subconsciously experience, yet is rarely talked about.
I felt the last chapter contained several tangents that, while somewhat related to the overall argument, went a bit long. I found this chapter to be incredibly difficult to get through, while the others were engaging throughout.
Still, it is always fun to read the work of an author who is passionate about her work. The aforementioned cultural anecdotes make it an engaging experience, allowing the reader to learn about other cultures and also understand connections between customs and thermal qualities in his own culture.
I recommend reading this book. It’s a quick and engaging read on a topic that we all subconsciously experience, yet is rarely talked about.
July 16, 2025
Convenience isn’t always worth it!! Makes you very aware of the sensory experiences you have/associate with spaces and the societal rituals we sacrifice in the name of ‘comfort’. I wish I had read this in school.
September 11, 2022
I have a theory that to transition from fossil fuels and minimize the average global temperature rise, modern 1st world societies are going to have to adjust the standards for comfort we have grown accustomed to. Folks are gonna have to be a little colder or a bit sweaty more often. So, coming across this slim volume, I was curious to see what arguments our author had to offer. In 74 pages, they do not disappoint. Heschong most salient point is made in their second chapter, Delight: we take pleasure in a range of sensorial inputs, so why do we hermetically maintain our interior environments between 68º and 72º at 40% humidity? Gourmet meals are prepared to give a range of flavors to refresh the palate and reawaken tastebuds. “…[S]tudies have shown blue to be the most restful color, [but] I doubt anyone would put forth an argument for a monochromatic world. And yet a steady-state thermal environment is the prevailing standard…” The balance of the book traces the myriad of thermal negotiations that have enhanced human lives and the connection to our living world, our families and the communities we live in. Stretching beyond pragmatics, the chapter entitled Sacredness cuts a cultural cross-section to show how embedded the metaphysical is woven into how we keep our spaces warm or cool. This is not a technical manual, but an appeal to the phenomenological benefits to our mind/body. A quick read for any lay person to offer a new vantage point and reframe their relationship to the unconditioned world.
March 26, 2024
3/5
Lisa Heschong does a good job at exploring how we as humans perceive and take in different thermal conditions in our day to day lives. Going into natural ways of thermal control and sacred ways thermal elements are used in the world, it brings some great perspective to just how well the world around us controls temperature, without the aid of air conditioning or electric heating units. While she does tend to repeat some information to a pulp, all in all it was overall some pretty good knowledge.
Lisa Heschong does a good job at exploring how we as humans perceive and take in different thermal conditions in our day to day lives. Going into natural ways of thermal control and sacred ways thermal elements are used in the world, it brings some great perspective to just how well the world around us controls temperature, without the aid of air conditioning or electric heating units. While she does tend to repeat some information to a pulp, all in all it was overall some pretty good knowledge.
September 9, 2021
Author Lisa Heschong is an architect and building scientist who has for decades designed and consulted on solar design, energy efficiency, daylighting, and the effects of the built environment on people. This slim book appreciates the sensory richness of, for example, porch swings; inglenooks; kotatsu; Persian gardens with their fountains, deep shade, and fragrant flowers; streets and squares of Mediterranean towns; and even igloos. What these details and places share is an attunement to climate and to human comfort that is anything but neutral.
Using examples from architectural history, literature, and world culture, Heschong makes the case that thermal qualities are an important aspect of how we experience and remember spaces. She suggests that thermal delight be elevated to similar status as qualities of light and shadow, in the design palette of architects. Her examples are organized on a continuum from hearth (warm, cozy spaces in cold climates) to oasis (cool, refreshing places in hot climates).
The first chapter presents interesting physiology of animals and humans: how we have evolved to stay warm when it’s cold out; how we cool ourselves when it’s hot and/or humid. I was reading this while camping in Alaska in their 40-degree summer, which made me extra conscious of how well layers work to trap heat.
Heschong researched and wrote this book in the mid-1970s at the height of the first wave of passive and active solar design. During the previous few decades, the emphasis had been on increasingly sophisticated mechanical ventilation systems that could maintain steady temperature and humidity in a building year-round. That was—and still is—considered the gold standard of human comfort. Despite, or possibly because of, her training and professional experience, at the heart of her investigations is this contention:
“The thermal environment also has the potential for such sensuality, cultural roles, and symbolism that need not, indeed should not, be designed out of existence in the name of a thermally neutral world.” (p.17)
In the nearly 40 years since this book was published, research into how spaces affect human health, productivity, learning, and general well-being has quantitatively proven much of what Heschong offered with her qualitative examples and engaging prose. I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the many variables that go into designing our built environment, as well as reviving simple elements to save energy and improve our lives. The porch swing is a good start.
Using examples from architectural history, literature, and world culture, Heschong makes the case that thermal qualities are an important aspect of how we experience and remember spaces. She suggests that thermal delight be elevated to similar status as qualities of light and shadow, in the design palette of architects. Her examples are organized on a continuum from hearth (warm, cozy spaces in cold climates) to oasis (cool, refreshing places in hot climates).
The first chapter presents interesting physiology of animals and humans: how we have evolved to stay warm when it’s cold out; how we cool ourselves when it’s hot and/or humid. I was reading this while camping in Alaska in their 40-degree summer, which made me extra conscious of how well layers work to trap heat.
Heschong researched and wrote this book in the mid-1970s at the height of the first wave of passive and active solar design. During the previous few decades, the emphasis had been on increasingly sophisticated mechanical ventilation systems that could maintain steady temperature and humidity in a building year-round. That was—and still is—considered the gold standard of human comfort. Despite, or possibly because of, her training and professional experience, at the heart of her investigations is this contention:
“The thermal environment also has the potential for such sensuality, cultural roles, and symbolism that need not, indeed should not, be designed out of existence in the name of a thermally neutral world.” (p.17)
In the nearly 40 years since this book was published, research into how spaces affect human health, productivity, learning, and general well-being has quantitatively proven much of what Heschong offered with her qualitative examples and engaging prose. I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the many variables that go into designing our built environment, as well as reviving simple elements to save energy and improve our lives. The porch swing is a good start.
February 22, 2024
Thermal regulation is like oxygen: despite its necessity, we don't notice its presence and preciousness until we begin to gasp for air. Humans prefer a narrow range of temperature, but technology makes us comfortable, even during scorching summers and bleak winters. And we have already achieved the Holy Grail: reliably cooling or heating a large space with just a fingertip on the thermostat. Given that temperature in building has already been conquered, one might question whether thermal regulation in architecture is still a relevant topic today.
In this short read from the 1970s—a blend of architecture, anthropology, and a little bit of biology, Heschong claims that we're missing out much by living and working in "thermal monotony," which is, according to Heschong, comparable to subsisting on the same food every single meal. To delineate the deprivations and to highlight the potentials of thermal regulation in designing space, Heschong uses two approaches. First she examines various characteristics of our thermal perception—briefly on the biological mechanism, our sensitivity and capabilities, how different sensory modalities could alter the perception, etc. Then the most of the book is on exploring humanity's tightly woven relationship with temperature, in the context of architecture. Exploring different cultures over time and distinctive architectural techniques over various climates, she shares how humanity has been leveraging clever designs to regulate temperature and also how thermal conditions affect the way we perceive and utilize space.
Most people today wouldn’t be able to point out the mechanisms of heating and cooling systems in their offices and houses. Thermal regulation has become unobtrusive, and, in turn, we’ve lost the intuitive connections and opted in for a standardized monotony. Another loss is on sustainability since about half of the energy consumption today in a typical house is spent on heating and cooling. Even if thermal quality were not a significant design element, we may need to rethink about temperature regulation. After reading this book, you might notice your heightened awareness of thermal qualities throughout your daily life.
In this short read from the 1970s—a blend of architecture, anthropology, and a little bit of biology, Heschong claims that we're missing out much by living and working in "thermal monotony," which is, according to Heschong, comparable to subsisting on the same food every single meal. To delineate the deprivations and to highlight the potentials of thermal regulation in designing space, Heschong uses two approaches. First she examines various characteristics of our thermal perception—briefly on the biological mechanism, our sensitivity and capabilities, how different sensory modalities could alter the perception, etc. Then the most of the book is on exploring humanity's tightly woven relationship with temperature, in the context of architecture. Exploring different cultures over time and distinctive architectural techniques over various climates, she shares how humanity has been leveraging clever designs to regulate temperature and also how thermal conditions affect the way we perceive and utilize space.
Most people today wouldn’t be able to point out the mechanisms of heating and cooling systems in their offices and houses. Thermal regulation has become unobtrusive, and, in turn, we’ve lost the intuitive connections and opted in for a standardized monotony. Another loss is on sustainability since about half of the energy consumption today in a typical house is spent on heating and cooling. Even if thermal quality were not a significant design element, we may need to rethink about temperature regulation. After reading this book, you might notice your heightened awareness of thermal qualities throughout your daily life.
January 3, 2013
Heschong's claims that the aesthetic aspect of thermal properties of buildings have been sadly neglected due to our almost full control over the temperature of our indoor spaces. We lose something by always being in a highly tuned environment. Heschong sets out to describe the aesthetic importance of temperature by appeal to architects, authors, and cultural traditions.
Thermal regulation is necessary for life. Humans can only live with a reasonably small range of temperatures. As Heschong puts it, "Buildings, even in the conventional ways we now build them, can be viewed as a way to modify a landscape to create more favorable microclimates."
Yet once that basic need is met, thermal regulation takes on an aesthetic aspect. Take sitting around a fire as an example. Part of the delightfulness of such as exercise is from the contrast between the warm (perhaps almost too warm) fire and the cooler space beyond. Heschong gives many other examples, all of which lead to the conclusion that, despite common building practices, our buildings are more delightful when they are not uniformly heated and cooled.
It's an interesting thesis and has some intuitive appeal, but overall, as a lay person, I was left with a "so what" feeling.
Thermal regulation is necessary for life. Humans can only live with a reasonably small range of temperatures. As Heschong puts it, "Buildings, even in the conventional ways we now build them, can be viewed as a way to modify a landscape to create more favorable microclimates."
Yet once that basic need is met, thermal regulation takes on an aesthetic aspect. Take sitting around a fire as an example. Part of the delightfulness of such as exercise is from the contrast between the warm (perhaps almost too warm) fire and the cooler space beyond. Heschong gives many other examples, all of which lead to the conclusion that, despite common building practices, our buildings are more delightful when they are not uniformly heated and cooled.
It's an interesting thesis and has some intuitive appeal, but overall, as a lay person, I was left with a "so what" feeling.
March 26, 2019
I read this for an architecture class, and it was quick, nice read. It was quite interesting how the author placed meaning behind what I previously considered trivial aspects of thermal perceptions, transforming these details through cultural, historical, and scientific perspectives.
August 20, 2018
You will never think the same about your pursuit of thermal comfort again— inside or outside. This book will change your perspective, read it and learn to be more observant (and more comfortable).
September 22, 2020
The concept of "thermal place" is wonderful.
October 11, 2022
I really enjoyed this! It reads more like a long essay proving her argument for the importance of thermal experiences in architecture, which is really great because she doesn't use useless fluff to try to pad her assertions. I like how she divided her argument into three sections and the way she fleshed them out with both abstract examples and situations likely to be personal to the reader. It was straightforward but not dry, and I definitely came away feeling like I have a new appreciation for the thermal aspect of architecture. Heschong did a very good job of convincing me to care about this facet of spaces. I really liked this read! (even if it was for school 3)
February 3, 2021
Telling the history and development of thermal control. How these environments direct our lives individually and our lives together. There is often community amongst warm and cool places and shared experiences. Mostly history so could have been a little more relatable for my interest.
Borrowed and recommended by Chris Hazel. I thought it was funny that I regularly was search for a place at work on my breaks to read that wasn't too cold.
Borrowed and recommended by Chris Hazel. I thought it was funny that I regularly was search for a place at work on my breaks to read that wasn't too cold.
July 5, 2021
After years at school of architecture this book changed my whole view of what architecture was.
Rather than (simply) the play of light and shade on form etc Architecture is more fundamentaly a thermal art. And the thermal sense wasn't even one of the five senses!
Which led to my SENSE THINK ACT book...
Thermal Delight in architecture is crucial reading for anyone interested in architecture.
Rather than (simply) the play of light and shade on form etc Architecture is more fundamentaly a thermal art. And the thermal sense wasn't even one of the five senses!
Which led to my SENSE THINK ACT book...
Thermal Delight in architecture is crucial reading for anyone interested in architecture.
April 27, 2025
A short easy read with examples of the culture of thermal comfort, focussing on European hearths and Islamic gardens. Some of her conclusions seemed pretty tenuous but you're left with a greater appreciation of the architecture of thermal comfort.
May 25, 2018
not enjoyable reading, but solid and previously unconsidered ideas throughout
March 29, 2019
Very easy to digest
May 8, 2022
Heschong's musings romanticize the human struggle for comfort.
January 1, 2023
😍 assigned reading
July 4, 2024
The most powerful experiences are those involving all of the senses at once
New word Finnish word I love, Löyly, steam which rises from the stones
New word Finnish word I love, Löyly, steam which rises from the stones
February 16, 2025
“Drawing a parallel to the concept of the soul that animates the physical body of the person, the fire, then, is the animating spirit for the body of the house”
July 24, 2025
3.5/5
October 29, 2024
It's a good little book of architecture from a thermal perspective. It also had interesting details of folklore and culture. So if you're interested in all of that, you may give this a read.
Long(er) review: here.
Long(er) review: here.
October 18, 2014
It is a very quick read. Before air conditioning and central heating, people were much more aware of how temperature changes in the home affected their activity choices. Several examples are discussed from how people around the world live in the local climate.
I didn't give the top rating because the book sometimes sounded repetitive, and had no images in the 1979 version. However, the descriptions of some spurred me to want to see it, so I googled quite a few things.
I didn't give the top rating because the book sometimes sounded repetitive, and had no images in the 1979 version. However, the descriptions of some spurred me to want to see it, so I googled quite a few things.
August 8, 2007
Fascinating take on an often overlooked aspect of architecture. Must be taken with a grain of salt if you live in truly hot areas of the country. Her disdain for people who leave their air-conditioned home to drive in their air-conditioned car to their air-conditioned office is the disdain of someone who has never lived through 100 degree summers.
July 7, 2011
Good book. It outlines the necessity of thermal environments when designing buildings by relating thermal qualities to human relationships. A rather quick read but is full of details regarding thermal environments in human culture and animal kingdom alike.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about anthropology, natural sciences, or architecture.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about anthropology, natural sciences, or architecture.
March 10, 2015
1SR:
Interesting thesis put forward for a call for design to stimulate rather than standardise, to be present rather than hidden. Unfortunately, this then tales off to repetitive musings and losses momentum. Fortunately, the book is short enough for that to be ok.
Interesting thesis put forward for a call for design to stimulate rather than standardise, to be present rather than hidden. Unfortunately, this then tales off to repetitive musings and losses momentum. Fortunately, the book is short enough for that to be ok.
October 8, 2016
Light read with an interesting premise; that the consideration of temperature should be recovered as a driving concern of architecture. The examples provided richly illustrate the various historic and vernacular thermally-sensitive strategies deployed in climates around the world.
December 25, 2007
Whether or not you have thought about the way you perceive heat and cold, this is an amazing meditation on how humans sense and adapt to their thermal environment.
March 16, 2008
Read it twice...basic understandings of heat gain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews