Benjamin Beer’s presentation at the 45th Salon of Architecture emphasized blending historical wisdom with modern technology to create sustainable, human-centric facades. He highlighted how traditional designs—like 300-year-old double-skin windows with natural ventilation and Middle Eastern wind towers—achieved environmental responsiveness through passive strategies. These concepts inform contemporary projects, such as Saudi Arabia’s shaded urban canopies with integrated wind towers and evaporative cooling systems, which enhance outdoor thermal comfort in extreme climates.
Beer showcased Werner Sobek’s innovative approaches, including parametric 3D modeling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimize structures like the Trojena development in NEOM, a mountain-carved city with PV-paneled roofs and natural airflow systems. He also discussed the Expo 2020 Dubai’s retractable fabric shades, which balance daylight control with nighttime stargazing, and the use of lightweight materials like GRP and terracotta to minimize resource use.
A key focus was the tension between sustainability and human well-being. Beer noted how modern glass technologies, while improving energy efficiency, often compromise natural light exposure critical for mental health. He advocated for designs that prioritize circadian rhythms, citing research linking sunlight deprivation to depression. Projects like the Mukaab in Riyadh—a massive cube with interior video projections—demonstrate how reducing surface-to-volume ratios can lower cooling demands while still addressing human sensory needs.
Beer concluded by stressing interdisciplinary collaboration to address climate challenges, urging a return to simplicity: leveraging natural principles, lightweight materials, and adaptive human behavior to create resilient, user-focused architecture.
