Thermodynamically, architecture is as an active agent: a mediating layer in the exchange between external climatic forces and internal human sensations. What does it mean, therefore, to design with heat? How do we shape spaces to interact with the thermal sensation of people moving through them? While we are visually blind to the flows of thermal energy surrounding us, they are acutely perceived by our skin’s thermal receptors. To use architecture to shape and direct heat exchanges between our bodies and the environment, we must be able to measure and represent these interactions. The internet of things (IoT), simulations, and imaging techniques enable detection and representation of invisible physical phenomena. Once characterized, it is possible to actively design the paths of heat flow through buildings, thus reducing our fraught overreliance on mechanical systems and external energy supply. This paper discusses two full scale installations designed, built, and operated in Seoul and Singapore respectively. Using infrared radiation, these spatial constructions create a unique relationship between the human body, energy flows, and the surrounding surfaces, with the goal of enhancing people’s thermal sensation and achieving alliesthesia.
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