June. (View).

Next month's issue looks at building in hot countries. Historically, the challenge posed by building in such climatic extremes, whether the desert or the tropics, has often given rise to some of the most inventive vernacular architecture that strives to work in harmony with the natural world. Yet despite this rich heritage, the rise of the modern air conditioned container continues to blight cities in all latitudes, but especially hotter ones. New climate specific planning and building types and new ways of building are needed to generate environments that are both ecologically sustainable and respond to human needs. In this issue, we look at examples from different parts of the world, all connected by their hot climates, that embody different yet equally enlightened responses to this challenge. In the Atacama Desert in northern Chile (reputedly the driest place in the world), German firm Auer and Weber have built a new centre for astronomers to observe the heavens. In Queensland, Australia, Bligh Voller Niel d have converted a former barracks building into housing. In Puerto Rico, Davis Fuster have designed a new School of Fine Arts that incorporates traditional forms and climate modifying devices. And in Ethiopia, we present a study of the country's remarkable early Christian churches, impressive and beautiful monuments to faith that are literally hewn out of the living rock. Buy this and 11 other equally stimulating issues by completing the enclosed subscription form or visiting our ever expanding website.

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