A. “The Recovery of Natural Environments in Architecture” by Professor Alan Short represents 30 years of research and award-winning sustainable building design by Short and his colleagues across Architecture, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. ‘The crisis in building design is already upon us,’ Short warns. ‘Policymakers think energy and building challenges can be solved with gadgets. They can’t. As global temperatures rise, we will continue wasting energy on mechanically cooling our buildings until we exhaust all capacity.’

B. Short calls for a radical redesign of skyscrapers and major public buildings to eliminate dependence on sealed structures powered entirely by massive air conditioning systems. He demonstrates that large buildings can achieve natural ventilation and cooling by revisiting pre-air-conditioning architectural practices, which were overshadowed by aggressive marketing of AC systems.

C. Short emphasizes that most modern buildings require sealing and air-conditioning to be habitable, generating massive energy consumption and carbon emissions that are largely avoidable. Western buildings alone account for 40–50% of electricity usage, contributing heavily to carbon emissions, with other regions rapidly catching up. He views glass-and-steel, air-conditioned skyscrapers as status symbols rather than practical solutions.

D. The book explores the sophisticated art and science of ventilating buildings in the 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighting ingeniously designed hospitals. Of particular interest are the hospitals designed by John Shaw Billings, including the first Johns Hopkins Hospital (1873–1889). ‘We spent three years digitally modeling Billings’ designs,’ says Short, ‘simulating pathogens in the airflow and TB patients coughing, and found the ventilation systems would have protected other patients effectively.’

E. ‘We discovered that 19th-century hospital wards could achieve up to 24 air changes per hour—comparable to modern computer-controlled operating theatres. We believe similar wards could be built today. Single rooms aren’t necessary for all patients; communal wards, suitable for certain groups like older patients with dementia, would function well at a fraction of the energy cost.’ Short laments the loss of these design mindsets and skills, once evident in theatres, opera houses, and other buildings prioritizing fresh air.

F. Much of the 19th-century ingenuity in hospital and building design stemmed from public fear of miasmas—poisonous air thought to spread disease. This theory, prevalent from the Middle Ages through the cholera outbreaks of the 1850s in London and Paris, led the wealthy to avoid hospitals. Though miasma theory is now disproven, Short has spent 30 years advocating for a revival of some design principles inspired by it.

G. Today, air conditioning consumes significant building space and construction budgets. ‘Over the past three decades, I’ve designed buildings that revive these principles and monitored the results,’ Short explains. ‘To move toward a low-energy, low-carbon future, we should revisit designs from before the high-energy, high-carbon era. The legacy we’ve abandoned is remarkable.’

H. Successful examples of Short’s approach include the Queen’s Building at De Montfort University in Leicester. Housing up to 2,000 staff and students, the building is naturally ventilated, passively cooled, and naturally lit, including two auditoria seating over 150 people each. This award-winning building consumes a fraction of the electricity used by comparable UK buildings. Short warns that glass skyscrapers worldwide may become liabilities in the next 20–30 years due to climate change and rising energy costs.

I. He is confident that skyscrapers can be efficiently cooled using natural environmental strategies in nearly any climate. His team has developed hybrid buildings in harsh climates like Beijing and Chicago, where natural ventilation is supplemented with backup air conditioning—allowing AC systems to be off more than half the time in milder seasons. Short envisions a reimagined future for cities, offices, and homes, calling for a shift in our architectural outlook.