Insight: Britain’s buildings were built for a different climate

For decades, much of the UK’s built environment has been designed around one central assumption: keeping warmth in. 

That made sense in a cooler climate. Well insulated homes, deep plan offices, historic buildings with thick walls, classrooms with limited ventilation and refurbished spaces designed for energy efficiency all share a common purpose. They were built, adapted or upgraded to retain heat. 

But the climate around those buildings is changing. 

Recent summers have made overheating much harder to ignore. Schools, hospitals, workplaces, homes and public buildings are all being tested by periods of extreme heat. What was once treated as an occasional inconvenience is now becoming a serious question for building owners, estates teams, consultants and project teams. 

Existing buildings are the real challenge 

New buildings are increasingly expected to address overheating at design stage. Approved Document O introduced specific requirements for overheating mitigation in new residential buildings, reflecting the fact that heat risk now must be considered as part of building performance. 

However, much of the UK’s real challenge sits in the existing building stock. 

Older buildings were not designed for the conditions now being experienced. Many have limitations around ventilation, glazing, shading, roof spaces, services capacity and fabric performance. In some cases, opening windows may be restricted by security, acoustics, pollution, conservation requirements or practical use. In others, mechanical cooling may be difficult to install without affecting the building’s character, infrastructure or running costs. 

This is where the issue becomes more complex than simply adding air conditioning. 

For many buildings, the answer will need to be a careful combination of fabric improvements, ventilation, shading, services upgrades, space planning, maintenance strategy and operational change. That requires early thinking, not late stage reaction. 

Heat is becoming a project risk 

Overheating should now be considered a project risk in its own right. 

A building that cannot remain comfortable in summer may struggle to function as intended. Classrooms become harder to teach or learn in. Offices become less productive. Public buildings become more difficult to operate. Historic properties may face increased pressure on internal environments, specialist finishes and sensitive collections. Homes may become uncomfortable or unsuitable for vulnerable occupants. 

This affects more than design. It can influence scope, budget, programme, planning, procurement and long-term maintenance. 

For project teams, the key question is no longer simply: how do we improve this building? 

It is: how do we make sure this building remains usable in the years ahead? 

This shift matters. A refurbishment that looks successful on completion may still fall short if it does not respond to the conditions the building will face over its next phase of life. 

Why early advice matters 

Climate resilience is much easier to address at the beginning of a project than at the end. 

If overheating is only considered once the design has already developed, the options can quickly become limited. Adding new systems late in the process can create pressure on budget, structure, services coordination and programme. It can also result in compromises that feel reactive rather than considered. 

Early Quantity Surveying and Project Management input can help project teams understand the commercial and practical implications of different approaches. 

For Quantity Surveyors, climate resilience changes the way costs need to be understood. It is not enough to price isolated packages without considering how they affect the wider project. Overheating measures may influence enabling works, services coordination, access, specialist trades, planning risk, phasing and long-term maintenance. 

For Project Managers, the issue is equally important. Resilience requires decisions to be made at the right time, with the right consultants involved and the right information available. If key questions are left too late, projects can lose time, certainty and control. 

The role of the project team is to bring clarity to that process. 

As hotter summers become more common, building owners and project teams need to think differently about existing assets. The challenge is not just to repair, refurbish or modernise but to help buildings remain usable and comfortable in a changing climate. 

For clients, the message is clear: climate resilience should be part of the brief from the beginning. 

The buildings that perform best in the years ahead will not necessarily be those with the most expensive interventions. They will be the ones where the right questions were asked early, the risks were understood properly and the project team treated resilience as a core part of value. 

Britain’s buildings were built for a different climate. The next generation of refurbishment needs to respond to the one we are living in now. 

Want to understand how climate resilience could affect your next refurbishment or improvement project? Speak to our team about early cost and project advice.