Exploring Summer's Impact on British Structures: Are They Up to the Task?
In the face of rising temperatures and increased overheating risks, Jordan Turner, a lecturer at the University of the Built Environment, has emphasised the urgent need for climate resilience in UK buildings. His commentary, prompted by the UK Green Building Council’s Climate Resilience Roadmap, calls for practical steps to ensure buildings remain safe and comfortable as temperatures rise.
To integrate air conditioning units, experts recommend assessing building suitability and need, selecting energy-efficient and low-impact systems, considering zoning and smart controls, ensuring adequate ventilation, and educating building users about optimal settings and behaviours.
For solar glass integration, the focus is on evaluating building orientation and glazing areas, choosing the right solar glass product, coordinating with building fabric upgrades, monitoring performance and feedback, and involving stakeholders in the process.
Turner, however, urges a broader approach, moving beyond a sole focus on energy efficiency to a holistic approach that addresses both overheating and broader climate risks. He advocates for prioritising climate resilience alongside energy efficiency in building design and retrofitting, investing in passive design and adaptive reuse, providing clear policies and incentives for retrofitting and new builds, and encouraging societal transformation towards climate-aware behaviours and practices.
Turner's stance is that practical, immediate actions—such as integrating air conditioning and solar glass—must be part of a broader, coordinated effort to future-proof the UK’s built environment against a warming climate. While not every building can or should immediately install air conditioning, those that are most vulnerable should be prioritised, and all new or refurbished buildings should consider the integration of resilient technologies like solar glass.
The UK's built environment is facing an urgent reality regarding climate hazards, with overheating being in the top 5. UK buildings, accustomed to insulation and energy efficiency, are not prepared for the warmer temperatures, resulting in discomfort in schools, care homes, offices, and homes during warmer weather. With record temperatures and more consistent 'hotter days', it is clear that action is needed.
The UK Green Building Council’s Climate Resilience Roadmap, released on July 3, 2025, provides a comprehensive guide for the sector to focus on climate resilience instead of just energy efficiency. The roadmap underscores the importance of social sustainability and the health and wellbeing of individuals, ensuring that every individual's health and wellbeing is promoted, not just the vulnerable.
For those interested in related courses, the University of the Built Environment offers BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management, MSc Real Estate, and a Short course: Reaching Net Zero Through Passive Building Design. As the focus shifts towards climate resilience, these courses provide valuable insights and practical skills for the future of the built environment sector.
As the UK adapts to a warming climate, the integration of air conditioning units and solar glass in buildings is a crucial step towards ensuring comfort and safety for all occupants. By prioritising climate resilience alongside energy efficiency, the UK can future-proof its built environment and promote the health and wellbeing of its people.
- In line with the UK Green Building Council’s Climate Resilience Roadmap, Jordan Turner, a lecturer at the University of the Built Environment, advocates for a broader approach that addresses both overheating and broader climate risks, rather than just focusing on energy efficiency.
- For those interested in the future of the built environment sector, the University of the Built Environment offers courses such as BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management, MSc Real Estate, and a Short course: Reaching Net Zero Through Passive Building Design. These courses provide valuable insights and practical skills for individuals who wish to promote the health and wellbeing of people within the built environment, particularly in the context of climate change.
- Turner suggests prioritizing climate resilience alongside energy efficiency in building design and retrofitting, which includes practical steps like integrating air conditioning and solar glass for the comfort and safety of all occupants.
- As the built environment adapts to a warming climate, it is crucial to focus on climate resilience, as neglecting this aspect may lead to discomfort in schools, care homes, offices, and homes during warmer weather and increasingly 'hotter days'. This emphasis on social sustainability and health and wellness aims to ensure the wellbeing of every individual, not just the vulnerable, in the UK's built environment.
