The air conditioner is a vital technology to achieve thermal comfort in hot climates, especially when buildings are designed with poor cross ventilation, low ceilings and few or no operable windows. For many, the air conditioner is a symbol of comfort, modernity, and social status. As soon as people can pay for one and the monthly electricity bill that comes with it, its box is placed indiscriminately in the opening of a window, a balcony, a roof, or anywhere else that fits. But it is difficult to ignore the visual effect that air conditioners’ boxes have in the façades of buildings and the general aesthetic effect that these have in our city. While new projects have central air conditioning systems with hidden exhaust structures located on the roof, older or refurbished buildings expose these boxes in a variety of ways – in sometimes interesting and sometimes not so interesting ways.
Buildings in Ashford Ave. in Condado
I wanted to show the many ways in which these boxes are incorporated in the façade design of the buildings – especially the ones built in the 80’s and early 90s around the areas of El Condado, Miramar, Santurce, and Rio Piedras. Unlike contemporary projects, these structures that hide or incorporate the outside boxes of air conditioners were smart because they allowed inhabitants to choose whether to have an air conditioner – without affecting the look of the building on the outside. It is interesting to review this particular strategy, especially at a time when electricity costs are rampant and the impact on the environment is even more alarming.
Buildings in Miramar
Building around Rio Piedras area.
Building in Wilson St, Condado
Building in Ave. Fernandez Juncos, Miramar and Building in Calle Loiza, Condado
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