Sue Roaf – författare

From the bestselling author of Ecohouse, this fully revised edition of Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change provides unique insights into how we can protect our buildings, cities, infra-structures and lifestyles against risks associated with extreme weather and related social, economic and energy events.

Three new chapters present evidence of escalating rates of environmental change. The authors explore the growing urgency for mitigation and adaptation responses that deal with the resulting challenges.

Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change is an essential source, not just for architects, engineers and planners facing the challenges of designing our building for a changing climate, but also for everyone involved in their production and use.

From the bestselling author of Ecohouse, this fully revised edition of Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change provides unique insights into how we can protect our buildings, cities, infra-structures and lifestyles against risks associated with extreme weather and related social, economic and energy events.

Three new chapters present evidence of escalating rates of environmental change. The authors explore the growing urgency for mitigation and adaptation responses that deal with the resulting challenges.

Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change is an essential source, not just for architects, engineers and planners facing the challenges of designing our building for a changing climate, but also for everyone involved in their production and use.

New thinking is essential if we are to design and occupy buildings that can keep us safe with unpredictable economies, climates, energy systems and resource challenges. For too long designers have relied on mechanical solutions for heating, cooling and ventilating buildings. The 21st century dream has to be of a better architecture that enables buildings to be run for as much of a day or year as possible on local, clean, reliable, affordable natural energy. Examples are included from different climates where the fundamental building design is right, its orientation, opening sizes, mass and its natural ventilation systems and pathways. Many modern buildings are poorly designed for climate as manifested by growing incidences of overheating experienced indoor, explored here. The inability of many rating systems to record and improve the climatic design of buildings raises questions about how they deal with issues of basic building performance. This books points the way towards how we can understand such problems, and move forward from over-mechanised poorly designed buildings to a new generation of adaptable buildings designed and refurbished to run largely on natural energy and capable of evolving over time to keep their occupants safe and comfortable, even in a warming world. The chapters were originally published in Architectural Science Review.

This timely book aims to address a significant challenge in contemporary design and architecture, i.e., “to learn from the vernacular”. Vernacular architecture refers to traditional and indigenous building styles that have evolved in response to local climate, materials, and cultural practices. These styles often embody ''extreme'' design principles, as they support life without relying on modern mechanical systems for heating and cooling. The core premise of the book is that these time-tested design solutions offer valuable lessons for real sustainable and climate-resilient architecture today.

We strongly urge a return to the vernacular as a source of inspiration and knowledge. Hence, a genuine dedication to dedicated Ostads or master builders of Iran, who have contributed extensively to making and co-creating climate-resilient architecture and climate-sensitive design. This is more than just a box-ticking sustainability exercise and delves more deeply into the building performance and its impact on our everyday life, our health and wellbeing, and us as human beings. The book posits that contemporary architects and designers can learn valuable lessons by studying the adaptive strategies and sustainable practices embedded in the traditional vernacular architecture of Iran. These lessons are crucial for addressing modern challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and the need for energy-efficient buildings. By revisiting and analysing vernacular architecture, the book aims to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and contemporary design practices. It provides a comprehensive exploration of how vernacular principles can be integrated into modern architectural education and practice. The goal is not only to preserve traditional wisdom but also to innovate upon it, creating buildings that are both culturally relevant and environmentally sustainable.

The contributing case study chapters of the book include an excellent range of practical recommendations for architects, researchers, and policymakers. By fostering a deeper understanding of vernacular architecture, the book seeks to inspire a new generation of architects to create buildings that are harmonious with their environment and resilient to future challenges. Through this approach, we believe lessons from vernacular buildings ought to offer the promise of reintegrating real Resilience into the design of the next generation of buildings.