INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER 27


INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER


Solutions for Mitigating Overheating in Residential & Commercial Buildings


Executive summary


In 2021 the UK Building Regulations were amended to introduce several new measures, including Part L (Conservation of Fuel & Power). New buildings designed to meet the regulations of Part L are extremely energy effi cient, thanks to improved insulation levels and airtightness. However, while theoretically greatly improved from a performance perspective, these buildings also suffer from a greatly increased risk of overheating. In fact, drives to increase thermal effi ciency from Part L are often in confl ict with the need to comply with Part O which considers mitigation of overheating in residential


dwellings. Occupants in properties designed without adequate ventilation integration and passive or active cooling measures may be particularly vulnerable, meaning they require additional measures to ensure occupant safety as well as comfort. Writing this white paper during a record-breaking June heatwave in the UK – which has seen schools forced to close for the safety of pupils and staff – brings home the impacts of hot domestic settings and commercial premises. It also reveals how little, even more resilient building fabric can cope with extreme temperatures, and the need for power-hungry electrical devices to take up the slack and provide emergency cooling.


How signifi cant are the following challenges when designing and implementing natural ventilation strategies in your projects  Very Signifi cant  Signifi cant  Moderately Signifi cant  Slightly Signifi cant  Not Signifi cant


ADF JULY/AUGUST 2026


WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78