Rethinking Building Design for a Warming World
As climate change continues to reshape our world, a prominent architecture academic is calling for a significant shift in how buildings are designed to withstand future weather conditions. Professor Susan Roaf, an authority on climate-resilient architecture from Heriot-Watt University, emphasizes that most contemporary structures are ill-prepared for the climatic challenges expected in the 2030s and 2040s.
Drawing from over five decades of experience in designing for extreme climates, Professor Roaf highlights the increasing health risks and pressure on services associated with inadequately adapted buildings as weather patterns become more volatile.
Professor Roaf stated, “We are moving into a world that is getting significantly warmer, with extreme weather records being broken year after year. Our workplaces, public sector care facilities, and our own homes must be designed to cope with future conditions and currently ‘modern’ designs simply are not compatible with this reality. The Government’s focus now is on warm homes but the need for cool homes is growing.”
She further elaborates on these concerns in her new book, ‘Adaptive Thermal Comfort: At the Extremes,’ co-authored with comfort experts Fergus Nicol and Michael Humphreys. The book delves into the importance of designing buildings that remain functional during power outages caused by extreme weather.
Professor Roaf also notes, “For instance, with more people now working from home or in hybrid patterns, the cost and usefulness of large glass office building types must be looked at more closely. The higher the structures the higher energy demands and vulnerable to over-heating and cooling during power outages when mechanical systems fail.”
Recent winters have highlighted the vulnerability of lightweight constructions, particularly in rural Scottish areas, where prolonged power cuts resulted in rapid cooling of homes. According to Roaf, similar design flaws are present in hospitals, schools, and care facilities, where sealed facades and limited ventilation pose challenges for air quality and temperature management.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, research demonstrated that naturally ventilated spaces in Scottish hospitals were linked to lower transmission risks compared to those with mechanical ventilation. In 2020, a new infection-prevention strategy in Lanarkshire acute hospitals, which increased natural ventilation, correlated with fewer COVID-19 clusters.
Professor Roaf advocates for a global transition towards the next generation of climate-safe buildings, which she describes as ‘mixed-mode’ structures. These buildings would rely on local energy sources, natural ventilation, shading, and energy storage to maintain habitability throughout the year, resorting to artificial heating and cooling only when necessary.
She concludes, “Our research makes one thing clear, we need to prepare ourselves and our societies to live decently in the very different climates of the future. To do so we need common sense and good science to lead us. That cannot be done in silos. It requires genuine collaboration between government, regulators, health and care leaders, architects, engineers, and communities to deliver buildings that are safe, healthy and resilient by design.”
Original Story at www.eurekalert.org