DS 18

This year, our focus was on Thermal Domains. Heat, as an energetic force, has the power to shape, nourish, and transform. Through temperature mapping and analysis, we have witnessed how thermal comfort affects landscapes and urban environments, and how it can be harnessed and managed. Our design explorations aimed to envision the future of fluctuating thermal systems and their impact on local ecologies, communities, and architecture's role in responding to these changes. Considering the geopolitical and socio-economic transitions, as well as the energy and climate crisis, it is crucial to address the UK's thermal needs and their social consequences. Business as usual is no longer viable, and we must find ways for locally-driven, community-minded architecture to engage with these evolving thermal challenges and create a regenerative and equitable future. To tackle these complex issues, we will start with a collective UK-wide investigation, identifying key territories, critical zones, and pressing themes, and then focus on specific strategic sites for intervention in our main design project. Website: www.designstudio18.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ds18_westminster