STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 45 A different view of durability
Manuela Fazzan at wienerberger UK explores why adaptable as well as durable housing design is essential for future resilience in the housing sector, as demands evolve.
C
urrent housing specifi cations are often driven by immediate compliance targets, but the future of housebuilding depends on creating homes that are designed to endure. As climate pressures intensify, retrofi t demands increase, and homeowners become more conscious of building performance, the industry must shift focus from short-term compliance to long-term durability. This means designing homes that not only perform effi ciently today, but continue to deliver safety, comfort and resilience throughout their lifecycle. Durable housing is no longer simply about material longevity – it is about creating buildings that can adapt to changing environmental conditions, evolving regulations and future technologies without requiring extensive intervention.
In this context, durability and adaptability are closely linked. A durable home is one that has been designed to accommodate future upgrades, minimise maintenance requirements and support long-term occupancy needs. This requires a more holistic approach to specifi cation, where resilience, sustainability and lifecycle performance are embedded into decision- making from the earliest design stages.
Going beyond compliance The construction industry has seen signifi cant regulatory change in recent years, from the Building Safety Act and Future Homes Standard to increasingly ambitious energy performance requirements. While these measures are raising standards across the built environment, they should be viewed as the baseline minimum, rather than the end goal.
Future-ready homes must be capable of maintaining performance over decades of use, even as environmental and societal demands continue to evolve. This means considering how buildings will respond
ADF JUNE 2026
to more frequent extreme weather events, overheating risks and changing occupant expectations over time.
Durability therefore extends beyond the structural lifespan of a building. It includes designing facades, roofi ng systems and building envelopes that can withstand long-term environmental exposure while remaining easy to maintain and repair. It also means specifying systems and materials that support straightforward future retrofi t, whether through improved insulation, low- carbon heating integration or renewable energy technologies. Importantly, durable design also reduces the risk of premature obsolescence. Homes that can be upgraded effi ciently are less likely to require extensive refurbishment or replacement in the future, helping to reduce waste, embodied carbon and disruption for occupants.
For architects and developers, this places
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Durable housing is no longer simply about material longevity – it is about creating buildings that can adapt
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