New York, New York, United States
2024 - 2025
KlimaKover
KlimaKover reimagines outdoor comfort in our warming world. This modular timber pavilion combines low-energy radiant cooling with a human-centered design approach. Scalable by design, KlimaKover can bring relief to public spaces from schoolyards and bus stops to construction sites and festivals.
Project details
As global temperatures rise, the demand for conventional air conditioning continues to grow, placing heavy pressure on energy systems and worsening heat conditions through waste heat. KlimaKover offers an alternative: a low-energy cooling method that cools people — not air.
“Research from our partners at the University of Pennsylvania shows that the panels start to cool your body within 5-7 minutes, when the effect becomes apparent, and by 20 minutes the cooling sensation is pronounced,” says Head of Sustainability, Kritika Kharbanda.
Funded by the Ramboll Foundation, the first KlimaKover prototype was deployed on Governors Island for the 2025 Climate Piloting Program.
“Our goal was to design a tangible solution to the urban heat crisis — one that responds to people and demonstrates an effective low-energy alternative. We have accomplished this through a truly collaborative, multidisciplinary approach between designers, researchers, engineers, material suppliers, and fabricators.”
Lois Suh
Senior Associate, Senior Project Lead, AIA LEED AP BD+C
New methods in cooling
KlimaKover uses a membrane-assisted radiant cooling system developed by the Thermal Architecture Lab at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. Chilled water circulates through microtubes enclosed in transparent radiant panels, drawing heat directly from the body. The panels’ protective membrane allows infrared radiation to pass through to prevent condensation, enabling them to operate in hot and humid conditions.
Fabric shading also reduces heat exposure while maintaining open-air conditions, letting natural breezes enhance the cooling effect. The whole system can operate on solar power and requires no external water, making it self-sufficient and low impact.
“Research from our partners at the University of Pennsylvania shows that the panels start to cool your body within 5-7 minutes, when the effect becomes apparent, and by 20 minutes the cooling sensation is pronounced.”
Kritika Kharbanda
Head of Sustainability
Designed for disassembly
The pavilion’s modular design allows it to be scaled, reconfigured, and adapted to different urban contexts. Its 4x4 foot (1.22×1.22 meter) roof units can be deployed individually or combined, supporting both temporary installations during heat events and permanent integration into public spaces such as schoolyards, bus stops, and construction sites.
All KlimaKover’s technical components — including solar panels, chiller, water tank, and piping — are left exposed, making the inner workings of the cooling technology visible to visitors. The lightweight post-and-beam frame is constructed from timber salvaged from fire-maintenance and mitigation projects. Photovoltaic panels powering the radiant cooling system were repurposed from decommissioned installations, reducing waste and supporting circularity in materials and energy.
Scalable impact
KlimaKover is designed to explore new possibilities for low-energy outdoor cooling. Beyond public installations, scaled versions could provide relief in heat-vulnerable communities, high-traffic urban spaces, work environments, and temporary events. The technology could also be adapted to emergency shelters, retrofit older residential buildings, or unconventional uses such as protecting animals in high-heat environments.
Contact
All contacts
Kritika Kharbanda
Head of Sustainability, LEED AP BD+C
Lois Suh
Senior Associate, Senior Project Lead, AIA LEED AP BD+C
Eugene Chang
Senior Associate, Associate Design Director
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