The following video highlights how we can and should be using modern technology and design to create outdoor conditions that are perceived as comfortable even in the most hottest of climates.

Using active and passive techniques such as radiant and solar cooling, we can reduce our dependence on power hungry air conditioning units and provide effective, natural cooling in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

In Thailand it would be great to see this approach being used on all new developments. Imagine for example the shopping malls of the future being outdoors instead of having these vast concrete indoor shopping malls which are chilled down and cooled and use incredible amounts of fossil fueled energy in doing so.

It’s not just the large complexes that can benefit from this approach either. All of our homes, offices and communal spaces can adopt these techniques to help us reduce our energy consumption, reduce our bills and importantly reduce the effects on the environment.

Anyway, enough of the build-up, watch the following video and let us know your thoughts on the subject in the comments area below.

Video description: During the hot summer months, watching an outdoor sports match or concert can be tantamount to baking uncomfortably in the sun – but it doesn’t have to be. At the TEDxSummit in Doha, physicist Wolfgang Kessling reveals sustainable design innovations that cool us from above and below, and even collects solar energy for later use.

The video references Masdar, the city of the future – you can find out more about that project here: Masdar City