Climate change and the indoor environment : impacts and adaptation

Abstract

Foreword New buildings are designed to last for a significant period and although many will be substantially refurbished during their life spans, their envelopes will remain significantly unchanged. This fact imposes severe limitations on how the building can be modified to take account of changing climatic conditions. Historically, this was of little importance because changes in the climate were insignificantly small but the widely acknowledged onset of global warming has changed this scenario. The climatic information currently published by CIBSE is historical and does not take into account our changing climate. Using historical data when significant increases in temperature are forecast due to global warming is clearly not sensible and the Institution was therefore keen to sponsor a research project which indicates the expected increased temperatures, the effect they will have on current buildings, the way in which these effects can be mitigated and advice on how buildings may be better designed and serviced in the future.