Summer temperatures are heating up, most notably in parts of the country that are unaccustomed to such drastic heat waves like the Pacific Northwest.

Last month, temperatures climbed to as high as 115 degrees in typically cloudy places like Seattle, wreaking havoc in the region. Sudden deaths, wildfires, infrastructure damage, and heat-related emergencies were just some of the side effects of this uncharacteristic and dangerous heat wave. Sadly, temps like these will most likely become the norm as climate change continues to cause extreme weather patterns, such as the ridge that centered itself over the region in June.
But how can areas like the Pacific Northwest rethink their infrastructure to better prepare for such devastating weather patterns"
The answer is a new approach to architecture that departs from the standard, combined with a few more familiar design concepts previously used in the region.
Currently, most homes in the region are designed for much cooler weather, with appropriate ventilation and insulation meant to regulate temperatures and cool them more effectively, rendering standard air conditioning mostly unnecessary. However, in light of last month’s record-breaking temperatures, architects in the Pacific Northwest are focusing on ways to depart from the region’s previously successful strategy of little or no-effort temperature control.
Mike Fowler, a Seattle-based architect at the firm Mithun, is just one of many architects who’...