Highland Park MAPS Environmental Architecture students have explored how historical architecture offers insights into modern climate challenges through their construction of a playhouse for the Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses.
Potential play home owners can view the students’ home and 10 others during the 30th anniversary Parade of Playhouses from June 13-29 at NorthPark Center. Raffle tickets to win a playhouse or $1,000 NorthPark gift card are $5 each or five for $20. Tickets are available both at NorthPark and online starting on opening day.
The MAPS students’ house in the Streamline Moderne style was a hands-on experiment in passive cooling, sustainable design, and architectural adaptation to extreme heat. Their design featured cooling principles that have been practiced for generations, such as cross ventilation and a stucco exterior, and that are particularly relevant for residents of warmer climates.
Extreme heat is a growing threat worldwide, and Heat Action Day, observed on June 2, mobilizes communities, cities, and organizations to raise awareness of heat risks and promote simple, life-saving actions.
The MAPS Environmental Architecture class thanks Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses, David Espedal, its builder and partner, Sherry and Martin Cox, the original homeowners, Preservation Park Cities, and the organizers of Heat Action Day, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the American Red Cross for this partnership.
The Moody Center for Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) is a CAPS Network affiliate program in Highland Park, TX.
The original article was published in People Newspapers and can be accessed here.
