Extreme heat is now a global, systemic risk — driving rising mortality, reducing labor productivity, straining infrastructure and energy systems, and increasingly limiting when and where outdoor life and work are safely possible.

Significant effort is being devoted to improving the efficiency of indoor comfort systems, as people will inevitably spend an increasing amount of time indoors. But what about the outdoors? Spending time outdoors and in natural environments improves physical and mental health, strengthens social connections, and generates economic value through increased productivity, reduced healthcare costs, and outdoor recreation.

Five years ago, our team at Kiss-Architects began researching strategies to make outdoor spaces safer and more comfortable under extreme conditions. To advance this work, we founded Radiant Exchange to research and develop solutions addressing both excessive heat and excessive cold.