Analysing the Resilience of Brasília’s Superblocks in a Changing Climate

In Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, Mark Lynas describes possible world scenarios as global temperatures rise. The central region of Brazil, where Brasília is located, will suffer major changes in its microclimate.Brasília's built environment has already provided a comfortable indoor and outdoor condition through planned urban design and vegetation. However, the constant increase in population and built area is threatening the local sustainability.From damage prevention to future survival strategies, this paper highlights the importance of climatic design and urban directives in the struggle against a warming planet and resource depletion. One of Brasília’s first super blocks, designed by Niemeyer, will serve as a case study. The discussion will focus on Brasília’s iconic first housing estates and the ways they may contribute to energy efficiency as well as to the creation of strategies enabling the local community to respond to the climatic challenge. Monitored data of the present situation were analysed. The findings have suggested passive and active bio-climatic design and technology as a way forward. It is suggested that, under the current environmental circumstances, buildings are required to perform, like cars or refrigerators, like true “machines à habiter”; and their urban surroundings need to accommodate an ever-changeable microclimate in order to support the buildings’ performance.