South Korean construction firm GS E&C announced on Tuesday that it has carried out joint research into future housing concepts designed to cope with the climate crisis.

The builder collaborated with CRA, an architecture and innovative design practice headed by world-renowned architect Professor Carlo Ratti. Professor Ratti serves as director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is a founding partner of CRA. He specialises in responsive design, a discipline that integrates real-time environmental data and sensor technology into urban structures.

The main focus of the joint study is to analyse the precise impact of climate change on living conditions, specifically looking at variables such as heavy rainfall, heatwaves and fine dust. By assessing data, the teams aimed to derive practical solutions that protect the safety and health of residents alongside the long-term value of residential properties.

The project combined CRA’s data analysis and sensor design capabilities with GS E&C’s expertise in residential construction and property management.

Currently at the conceptual stage, the research results will undergo pilot testing to verify their technical feasibility and overall effectiveness. Following successful verification, GS E&C intends to introduce the climate-ready features sequentially to its Xi apartment developments, tailored to specific site conditions.

“This research is significant in that it analysed the impact of the climate crisis on residential environments based on data and explored preemptive response measures,” a GS E&C official stated.

The official added, “Through continuous research and technology verification, we will create a next-generation residential environment where Xi residents can live safely and comfortably even amidst climate change.”