The Nightmare of Condensation

For the contemporary architect, the appearance of condensation on building surfaces is a nightmare. Often resulting in mould, rot and poor indoor air quality, a case of condensation is often challenging to investigate and extremely expensive to remedy. A direct result of the modern dream of total control over interior climate, condensation is the consequence of an engineered environment gone wrong. This wasn't always the case. In the era before air conditioning and heavy insulation, building envelopes could absorb and release interior moisture through porous wall and ceiling assemblies. In examining the potential of condensation to enliven the imagination, we find an equal potential in architecture to express the remarkable qualities hidden in saturated air. In this essay, we examine several ingenious cases where architects proffer inventions for supporting and presencing saturated air, and to show that the nightmare of contemporary architecture could be conceived as a wondrous act.