Air conditioning has been one of the fastest growing industries in the last decade. The rising air temperatures, air pollution and noise in cities has made air conditioning a must for all kinds of buildings and climates. Just as a car without air-conditioning is not considered good enough, buildings are also not considered complete without air conditioning. Just as there are many others modes of transport where AC is neither used nor expected, there are many ways of living without air conditioning even though the availability of relatively inexpensive standalone AC units has made air conditioning ubiquitous.

‘Cooling Without Air Conditioning’ webinar took a fresh look at the need for thermal comfort in commercial buildings, and the different ways in this can be taken care of from building design to internal layouts, materials and finishes. It also looked at the different technologies that have been proven in the past and that may have become more relevant in the context of the outbreak of COVID-19. The webinar also discusses ways of measuring the efficacy of cooling systems.

The webinar was presented by experts from the Gubbi Alliance for Sustainable Habitat which is a self-funded association of habitat professionals and researchers that seeks to mainstream sustainability as a core concern in design, policy, and habitat management. The webinar hosted Ar. Ashok Lall, Principal at ABL Architects who specializes in low-energy sustainable architecture, Ar. Sanjay Prakash, Principal Architect at Studio for Habitat Futures (ShiFt) committed to energy-conscious architecture and eco-friendly design with over 30 years of practice and research, Tanmay Tathagat, Director of Environmental Design Solutions Pvt Ltd, expert in sustainable development, building energy efficiency, Green Buildings, and energy efficiency standards and labeling and  GC Modgil, founder Sterling India Consulting Engineers, providing environment friendly Green solutions to the fast developing construction industry.