INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER 29
the airtightness standards required by Part L with the ventilation requirements of Part F be diffi cult, often requiring larger trickle vents or mechanical ventilation to compensate for the lack of air leakage. Similarly, large expanses of glazing can prove benefi cial for energy performance, but simultaneously increase the risk of overheating, confl icting with the requirements of Part O. While there is the potential for confl ict when considering Parts
L, F & O, there are ways architects can design buildings to mitigate overheating and comply with Part L, with passive measures generally preferred before utilising mechanical ones.
Survey fi ndings
Although we discovered that most of our respondents said they were “actively considering ‘climate-responsive’ strategies that go beyond energy effi ciency regulatory minimums” in the majority of their design projects, they had varying opinions on the sectors which were suitable. While mixed use, medium and high rise resi, and education were seen to be likely to see ‘fully climate-responsive approaches’ used (59%, 56% and 54% respectively), some others fared less well. Cultural buildings (12%), sports and leisure (16%), and somewhat surprisingly, hotels and hospitality (16%) were all seen to be relatively unlikely to see such approaches taken. We also asked respondents what they meant by ‘climate- responsive design solutions,’ and the most popular answer was natural ventilation (potentially explaining the poor fi gure on new build hospitality). However also popular were building orientation (79%) and optimisation of glazing (76%). This was likely to mean reduction of glazing on facades as a key approach, which is being taken on brand new and existing projects of different types to resolve the confl icts between Parts L and O. However, it also means use of low-e and smart glazing, which is covered later in the study, and has its own pros and cons for building performance by limiting solar gain.
Both dynamic (such as external blinds and awnings) and fi xed (brise soleil) external shading were popular – 76% and 73% respectively. Less popular – unsurprisingly so given its known limited effectiveness – was internal shading which only 31% of respondents chose. It’s also something many residential new builds are unlikely to even consider, with the installation of blinds or shutters internally usually left to the future homeowner. Respondents also had the option to add their own solutions not included within our list, with verbatim mentions provide diverse insights including “climate risk mapping”, “embodied carbon benchmarking,” and “blue-green infrastructure”. One respondent mentioned that relevant solutions depend on the climate of the project’s location and its related concerns: “Depends on the climate and hazards. Adaptive stormwater solutions in Rotterdam are a very good example. Cooling towers in Middle Eastern culture seem like a great solution.” It’s equally important to understand what drives architects to pursue climate-responsive strategies. We gave respondents a list of potential drivers, asking them to rank their top fi ve, with their top answer scoring fi ve points down etc; the fi fth answer scoring one point. Proving climate change and extreme weather events are a
genuine concern, the top answer was ‘climate risks increasing’ which scored 333 points; signifi cantly more than the second most popular choice which was ‘regulation & planning requirements’ with 247 points. It’s reassuring to see so many architects understand the need to be more climate aware when designing buildings, and not just because regulation says they must.
Continuing with the more humanitarian and ethical drivers, the next two most selected choices were ‘energy & carbon targets’ (236 points) and ‘health & wellbeing concerns’ (167 points). At the other end, seemingly less likely to be a key driver for architects, were ‘voluntary building certifi cation schemes’ (22 points), ‘cost & liability pressure’ (47 points) and ‘local authority planners’ (40 points). The fact local authority planners are so low-scoring could be indicative that while architects are clearly aware of the need for climate-responsive design, more needs to be done to ensure it’s being encouraged or even enforced at a local level.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges the industry as a whole faces is the signifi cant number of project and building types that are susceptible to overheating when designed to Part L. The problem is evidently worse in our homes – topping the list was medium- or high-rise residential projects, which 77% of respondents believe are at risk, followed by volume low-rise residential projects (68%). Not far behind, 66% see education buildings as at risk and 61% believe care homes are – particularly concerning given the occupants of both of these are some of society’s more vulnerable. Workplaces were only just behind, with 60% of our cohort selecting it as an option, before individual houses (50%) and mixed use (43%). At the other end, the buildings considered least at risk include industrial (13%), hotels & hospitality (13%) and retail (14%), which may explain why they were also among the least popular responses when we asked about which sectors climate-responsive design approaches are most likely in.
Do you actively consider ‘climate-responsive’ strategies that go beyond energy effi ciency regulatory minimums in the majority of your design projects?
ADF JULY/AUGUST 2026
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