Air Pollution

In Subnature: Architecture’s Other Environments, David Gissen argues that architecture has historically defined itself by rejecting undesirable forms of nature, what he calls subnature. This idea includes phenomena such as dampness, smoke, gas and exhaust. He argues that efforts to produce dry, clean and climate-controlled interiors are not solely technical solutions but culturally and politically tied to class distinctions and industrial progress. With historical references to industrialization, arts and crafts, modernization especially in cities like London, Chicago and New York where the way the buildings were designed transformed, through material, spatial planning and building technologies. Thus, he is reframing architecture as something that is intertwined with unstable and polluted environments.

In Breathing in the City: Beijing and the Architecture of Air, Jerry Zee examines how air pollution in Beijing transforms air into a measurable, political material. Zee argues that air is not an invisible force but an infrastructure shaped by industry, technology and everyday human activity. He uses Sloterdijk's idea of air conditioning to show how the need to separate clean air from toxic air shows up at various scales, from selling canned air on the street to filtered rooms and giant pressurized domes over school playgrounds some of these ideas seem purely dystopian but a reality for the current built environment. Air becomes a commodity which is unequally accessible. It is dependent on access to filtered environments and economic resources. He redefined interiors to include urban environments as a comprehensive space.

Personally, these readings shift how we think about everyday life and the role of design. Both authors make visible what is usually hidden. For architectural designers and urban planners, this perspective suggests that environmental control is not just a technical challenge but an ethical one. Decisions about ventilation systems, zoning, transportation networks and green space distribution directly shape who breathes clean air and who is exposed to subnature. That idea feels relevant to us as students because we are taught to think about sustainability and environmental performance but rarely about the other factors sitting underneath these choices especially with architecture and planning. Rather than designing for abstract sustainability goals, these readings encourage a more atmospheric approach that recognizes air, moisture, and pollution as central design elements.

Page updated

Report abuse