As countries from China to Spain break heat records, some architects have been looking to cooling systems used centuries ago for inspiration. In Iran’s historic city of Yazd, decorative wind-catching towers, sometimes paired with cooling pools, have been able to provide emissions-free heat relief for many private and public buildings. As The World’s Durrie Bouscaren reports, while a lot of these towers are now defunct, architects have been studying them as a model for new, climate-friendly air conditioning.

This story originally aired on  Sept. 14, 2022.