Bioclimatic design for informal settlements

In this paper, a review of the reasons hindering the use of bioclimatic design principles in informal settlements is attempted and the perspective of bioclimatic design in those contexts is discussed. Among the main candidate reasons is the habit of mind induced by the belief that informal settlements grow organically, so as to invariably end up being optimized for their functional tasks. Another reason lies in the very nature of bioclimatic design, which is based on integration, that can be perceived as too a “weak” guarantee of perspective features, not very suitable for competing with clear-cut and powerful strategies like active climatic control. A third reason is constituted by the technical challenges which are presently still posed by the environmental simulation of open and intermediate spaces, especially in hot climatic conditions. In this context, some promising research lines related to climatic control and passive cooling are identified in this text. Those approaches are likely to benefit from an integrated blend of practice and theory and may contribute to increase the attractiveness of bioclimatic principles for the rehabilitation of informal settlements.