42
BUILDING FABRIC
Overheating: why prevention should come before cooling
As overheating becomes an increasing challenge, Stuart Dantzic of Caribbean argues that architects should put passive measures such as external shading ahead of mechanical cooling.
is experiencing hotter summers and more frequent periods of extreme heat while increasingly well-insulated and airtight buildings can be vulnerable to overheating if solar gains and ventilation have not been properly considered.
The obvious response is to increase cooling capacity. But that treats the heat after it has entered the building. A better approach is to prevent as much of that heat entering in the fi rst place. For architects, this is where solar shading becomes particularly important. Large areas of glazing can transform a building, bringing daylight into interiors, providing views and contributing to the architectural character of a facade. They can also allow substantial solar radiation into the building, particularly when glazing is exposed to strong sunlight.
Once solar radiation has passed through the glass, the resulting heat becomes part of the building’s internal heat load. Removing it later requires energy. External shading addresses the problem before that happens by intercepting solar radiation outside the glazing and reducing the amount of heat reaching the glass.
A better approach is to prevent as much of that heat entering in the fi rst place
T
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
he Environmental Investigation Agency’s recent report, UK Cooling Policy in a Warming World, should prompt serious questions about how we approach overheating in buildings. The report calls for a National Cooling Action Plan that prioritises passive measures, including shading, before mechanical cooling. I believe that principle deserves greater attention from everyone involved in building design. As we know only too well by now, the UK
This is an important distinction. Shading does not work like an air-conditioning system, lowering temperature by mechanical means. Its value is in reducing solar heat gain and helping to limit the conditions that lead to overheating. The principle is refl ected in the Cooling Ladder highlighted by the European Solar-Shading Organisation. Its approach places prevention and measures to reduce heat entering the building ahead of passive methods of removing heat, with active cooling further down the hierarchy. Solar shading is identifi ed as one of the measures that can help prevent solar heat gain.
ADF SEPTEMBER 2026
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
