Dec 22, 2022
When California is gripped by extreme heat, and the electric grid is pushed to the brink, the state responds by issuing a flex alert: a plea to residents to shut their windows and close their blinds in a desperate attempt to save energy and avert catastrophe. It seems like a strange directive necessitated by apocalyptic climate change, but back when air conditioning wasn't so cheap, the ability to shade on command was a defining feature of modern architecture. For Assemble Papers, I visited Richard Neutra's Hall of Records building, built in 1961 and 1962 in downtown Los Angeles. The building’s two sets of massive, motorized louvers could save a lot of energy — if only someone would turn them on.
