★ A brand-new work by Dr. Erik G. L'Heureux, a multi-award-winning architect, Distinguished Professor at the National University of Singapore, and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects!
★ This book offers architects theoretical insights and practical case studies drawn from equatorial regions, providing comprehensive guidance for design practices in a rapidly warming world.
★ Tailored for architects, scholars, and students, it illuminates the art of architectural practice in an era of accelerating global warming.
★ The content spans a wide range of topics, including passive strategies, low‑energy innovations, decarbonization approaches, and pathways to achieving net‑zero energy and carbon neutrality.
★ These concepts are vividly illustrated through projects conceived by eight contributors, each meticulously examined within the pressing urban conditions along the modern-day equator.
★ Rich with fresh perspectives, the book draws its insights from an equatorial vantage point while grounding itself in theoretical frameworks that bridge the Global South and the Global North.

This monograph locates and defines the “hot air” of urban equatorial regions through the architectural and creative practice of author Erik G. L'Heureux and his “Equatorial Intelligence Office.”
By critically examining the intersections among architecture, the tropics, the equator, urbanization, colonialism, mechanical cooling, and fossil fuel dependency, Lechenet’s architectural works offer case studies in decarbonization, passive comfort, and design suited to the urban equatorial context. These projects also reflect his profound personal and self‑reflective insights, shaped by two decades of living in the equatorial zone.
The book provides incisive perspectives on architectural practice in the era of climate crisis. The themes embedded in a series of built projects have inspired contributions from diverse authors on topics such as tropical representation, postcolonialism, megaliths, the jungle, and carbon. Each writer brings a distinct line of inquiry and critical reflection to “hot air,” scrutinizing the architectural works through varied cultural and geographical lenses while situating them within the equatorial region and our rapidly warming world.

Dr. Erik G. L'Heureux
Erik G. L'Heureux is an award-winning architect who currently lives and works in Singapore. He is dedicated to integrating design education and academic leadership with “design research,” developing sustainable “equatorial envelope architecture” strategies for hot, humid, densely populated “equatorial cities” to address the challenges posed by global warming.
Through his creative design studio, the Equatorial Intelligence Office, Eric focuses on designing for rapidly warming, densely populated equatorial cities around the world. Employing clean, holistic forms and delicate veils, he harmonizes architecture, interior design, and experiential spaces with the scorching air of the urban equator, yielding outcomes that are both delightful and surprising.
Eric also holds the position of Dean’s Chair Associate Professor (tenured) at the National University of Singapore, primarily within the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Design and Engineering. There, he imparts his knowledge to the next generation of architects, fostering their commitment to decarbonization and guiding them toward the creation of environmentally responsible buildings suited to equatorial regions.
As an architect and designer, Leehru uses streamlined, unified forms and refined veils to align buildings with the sweltering equatorial atmosphere in ways that are both pleasurable and unexpected. He has completed more than 40 projects, including his “Simple” series—Simple Headquarters, Simple Terrace Houses, Simple Factory Buildings—as well as landmark works such as the Equatorial Architecture Academy, Yusof Ishak Residence, Cottage House, Volumetric Residence, and 1000 Singapore. These projects have undergone peer review and have been recognized by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Society of Registered Architects of the Republic of Singapore (SARA), the INDE Awards, the World Architecture Festival (WAF), and the Singapore President’s Design Award. His work has been featured in nearly 100 professional and design journals, including Oculus, Icon, InDesign, Design+Architecture, Architecture Asia, and Archinesia.
Leehru has pioneered the integration of creative practice with academic research, exploring mid-20th-century equatorial architecture and its relationships to the urban environments, climates, and atmospheres of Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Ghana, and Brazil. For this groundbreaking work, he was awarded the Wheelwright Prize from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (2015–2017). Several of his designs are now held in the collections of institutions such as Harvard University, Columbia University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Yale University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Cambridge, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Leehru has published Retrofitting Carbon (2023), Mapping Climate (2021), and the monograph Deep Veil (2014). Beyond his designs, books, and monographs, he is the author or co-author of numerous articles and papers, including “Climate Design and Beyond,” which appeared in the peer‑reviewed Journal of Architectural Education in 2020 and earned him the 2021 Best Article Award and a design fellowship.
Leehru earned his PhD from the School of Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University, where he was also honored with the RMIT Design Research Excellence Award. He graduated from Princeton University, receiving the Susanna K. Underwood Prize in Design, and obtained a Master of Architecture degree. As a James W. Fitzgibbons Scholar, he earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. In 2007, he was named an Outstanding Alumnus.
Leehru is a registered architect in both the United States and Singapore, holding NCARB certification and serving as a LEED Accredited Professional in building design and construction. In 2020, he was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in recognition of his contributions to advancing the science and art of planning and architecture by elevating standards in architectural education, training, and practice.