Building professionals’ use of historical weather data in performance analysis and design is an insufficient response to the impacts of a changing climate. Existing standards, laws and conventions in the US (and elsewhere) reinforce the use of typical weather files derived from historical data. Although projected climate data are readily available from reliable sources, significant barriers prevent adoption. These include a lack of consensus on the methodology for creating climate data for buildings based on climate models; a lack of a publicly available platform for providing climate projections for use in a format suitable for building analysis; a lack of consensus on a standardized framework for communicating results of simulation with long-term climate data projections; and liability concerns with using projection data. A coordinated response to these challenges is necessary across building design disciplines to ensure widespread adoption. Professional institutions, codes and standards organizations, and national governments have a key role to ensure that buildings created today are fit for climatic conditions in 20, 50, and 100 years’ time.
{"title":"Projected climate data for building design: barriers to use","authors":"P. Rastogi, A. Laxo, L. Cecil, Daniel Overbey","doi":"10.5334/bc.145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.145","url":null,"abstract":"Building professionals’ use of historical weather data in performance analysis and design is an insufficient response to the impacts of a changing climate. Existing standards, laws and conventions in the US (and elsewhere) reinforce the use of typical weather files derived from historical data. Although projected climate data are readily available from reliable sources, significant barriers prevent adoption. These include a lack of consensus on the methodology for creating climate data for buildings based on climate models; a lack of a publicly available platform for providing climate projections for use in a format suitable for building analysis; a lack of consensus on a standardized framework for communicating results of simulation with long-term climate data projections; and liability concerns with using projection data. A coordinated response to these challenges is necessary across building design disciplines to ensure widespread adoption. Professional institutions, codes and standards organizations, and national governments have a key role to ensure that buildings created today are fit for climatic conditions in 20, 50, and 100 years’ time.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71049440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Extreme heat is a likely consequence of global warming, leading to increased mortality and reduced wellbeing. There is limited research evidence of experiences of living with and without air-conditioning (AC), commonly regarded as the sole technological solution, but such knowledge is essential to progressing alternative approaches. A total of 72 participants were interviewed in an exploratory cross-cultural phenomenological study in Dubai (United Arab Emirates—UAE), Chongqing (China) and London (UK). In Dubai and Chongqing, AC was ubiquitous and central to life in the hotter months, although not for all socio-economic groups. AC enabled indoor work to proceed, but a restricted indoor life meant less exercise, less social interaction and health issues. Participants had over-adapted, not to heat but to cold indoor temperatures, which were uncomfortable for many. In London, AC was not yet used, but the purchase of AC was being contemplated. The London participants showed a range of behavioural adaptations to heat. To reduce dependence on AC, regulations and behaviour change interventions regarding AC settings should focus on acclimatisation to heat. Changes in societal patterns, such as workhours, and behavioural adaptations, such as informed use of shading, can help mitigate heat. Deconstruction of the impact on human societies above and beyond health risks.
{"title":"Living with air-conditioning: experiences in Dubai, Chongqing and London","authors":"N. Murtagh, S. Badi, Yaling Shi, Shen Wei, Wei Yu","doi":"10.5334/bc.147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.147","url":null,"abstract":"Extreme heat is a likely consequence of global warming, leading to increased mortality and reduced wellbeing. There is limited research evidence of experiences of living with and without air-conditioning (AC), commonly regarded as the sole technological solution, but such knowledge is essential to progressing alternative approaches. A total of 72 participants were interviewed in an exploratory cross-cultural phenomenological study in Dubai (United Arab Emirates—UAE), Chongqing (China) and London (UK). In Dubai and Chongqing, AC was ubiquitous and central to life in the hotter months, although not for all socio-economic groups. AC enabled indoor work to proceed, but a restricted indoor life meant less exercise, less social interaction and health issues. Participants had over-adapted, not to heat but to cold indoor temperatures, which were uncomfortable for many. In London, AC was not yet used, but the purchase of AC was being contemplated. The London participants showed a range of behavioural adaptations to heat. To reduce dependence on AC, regulations and behaviour change interventions regarding AC settings should focus on acclimatisation to heat. Changes in societal patterns, such as workhours, and behavioural adaptations, such as informed use of shading, can help mitigate heat. Deconstruction of the impact on human societies above and beyond health risks.","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71049776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fire performance and regulatory considerations with modern methods of construction","authors":"B. Meacham","doi":"10.5334/bc.201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.201","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71050211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Technological fascination and reluctance: gendered practices in the smart home","authors":"Line kryger Aagaard, Line Valdorff Madsen","doi":"10.5334/bc.205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.205","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71050295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kathryn Lucas-Healey, H. Ransan-Cooper, Hugo Temby, A. W. Russell
{"title":"Who cares? How care practices uphold the decentralised energy order","authors":"Kathryn Lucas-Healey, H. Ransan-Cooper, Hugo Temby, A. W. Russell","doi":"10.5334/bc.219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5334/bc.219","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93168,"journal":{"name":"Buildings & cities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71050327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}