Reflecting on and Grappling with the Repercussions of Cooling Technologies in the Arabian Peninsula

Abstract

Sweating Assets, (the National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023) commenced as an inquiry into the loose ends of air conditioning systems, where vast amounts of condensate is produced and drained to sewers. This condensate is a valuable resource, a result of conditioning systems interacting with Bahrain’s hot and humid air. Beyond water wastage, this research extends to raise critical questions about the overreliance on modern cooling systems, examining the extent of their use and how they've shaped not only architecture but also our relationship with the environment. The project challenges the assumption that active cooling is always necessary, pointing out how systems have become embedded in the design of buildings to the point where they are treated as essential lifelines, rather than supplements for comfort. By interrogating these systems, Sweating Assets encourages a broader consideration of the environmental cost and inefficiencies that arise from maintaining constant temperature control. It critiques the top-down, centralized control that many systems impose, which limits individual agency by assuming “optimality” and climate control to the scale of landscapes. Instead, a reconsideration of architecture’s role in this energy intensive cooling endevour is explored, considering the history of the Arabian Gulf region and how the past can complement the evolution of comfort technologies for critical use.