Expert insights on building for future climate conditions

Day 260 🚨 "Designing for Climate Extremes: Architecture in the Age of Uncertainty" As climate change intensifies, architects face a new mandate: Design not just for aesthetics or function—but for resilience. Here’s how we can rethink architecture in the face of rising temperatures, wild weather, and ecological fragility: 1️⃣ Passive Design Isn't Optional Anymore In regions with extreme heat or cold, passive strategies like cross ventilation, thermal mass, and strategic shading are no longer luxuries—they're survival tools. 🏜️ Consider the windcatchers (badgirs) of Yazd, Iran—ancient systems that naturally cooled interiors centuries before HVAC. 💡 Solution: Orient buildings to maximize shade and airflow. Use materials with high thermal inertia. Incorporate climate-responsive facades and green roofs. “A well-designed wall can save more energy than any machine.” 2️⃣ Material Choice in a Warming World Traditional concrete contributes to global emissions and struggles in temperature fluctuation zones. Wildfires, floods, and salinity are reshaping how we think about longevity. 💡 Solution: Opt for low-carbon materials: hempcrete, rammed earth, or carbon-sequestering blocks. Use resilient detailing—elevated foundations, water-resistant cladding, and flexible joints. Learn from vernacular architecture: earthen walls, stone vaults, and compact forms. “The future of architecture may lie in the past.” 3️⃣ Buildings as Climate Shields Homes and public buildings must now double as refuges—from heatwaves, floods, and storms. This requires anticipating disruption, not just reacting to it. 💡 Solution: Build raised platforms and dry-proof basements in flood zones. Incorporate rainwater harvesting, solar integration, and thermal buffering. Case in point: The Floating School of Makoko, Nigeria—architecture adapted to life on water. “In an unstable world, architecture must be the stable element.” Balancing Aesthetics with Resilience 🌀 Form vs. Function: It’s no longer either/or—we must blend poetic beauty with practical climate defense. 🌱 Visual Impact vs. Ecological Footprint: Can your building look striking and sequester carbon? 🏗️ Designing for Comfort vs. Designing for Survival: The line is getting thinner. It’s time to design for both. What Can We Learn? Climate extremes are no longer “future problems.” They're design parameters today. The challenge isn’t just to resist climate forces—but to adapt with grace. 💡 Challenge: Can your next project endure the next 50 years of weather—and still inspire? “Are we designing buildings that survive the storm—or shape the next climate era?” Let’s talk. How are you incorporating resilience into your designs? 👇 Share your ideas and let’s exchange strategies. 📸 Images generated by AI – Midjourney #ClimateArchitecture #ResilientDesign #SustainableArchitecture #PassiveDesign #LowCarbonMaterials #ArchitecturalInnovation #VernacularArchitecture #DesignForDisaster #GreenBuilding

Mold. Are we prepared to see a lot more of it? #Buildings and climate adaptation... We talk about the need for #cooling, cross ventilation and shading to reduce loads - and simultaneously preparing for wildfire smoke and cold snaps... About the need for #energetic #retrofits to reduce energy costs and #carbonemissions... There is one aspect of #climatechange I have been thinking about in general terms, but not specifics... And I think it's something we're going to need to be talking a lot more about: climate zone migration. Many of you are undoubtedly familiar with ASHRAE's Building Climate Zone map. Many of you may also be familiar with the #KoeppenGeiger climate classification zones, that ASHRAE's map loosely follows. The Building Climate zones map is something we look at daily in relation to #energycodes - affecting a number of issues, including roof and wall assemblies. With warming, future climate zones are going to look radically different. Climate zones are going to shift, and walls and roof assemblies that were adequate for the climate they were built in, might be wildly at increased risk for #mold issues in future warming, especially as air conditioning is added. Warming also increases the amount of water vapor in the air. In 2015, NASA published results from a study that showed range of future building climate zones in 2100, based on moderate and high baseline emissions. What is interesting is that most of these are not small shifts - but potentially substantial ones. Places that today are (and have been) mixed- and cool-humid (CZ 4A, 5A) shifting to hot-humid (CZ2A). This is basically Chicago's climate sliding to Dallas's. Minneapolis (6A, Cold-Humid) migrating to Atlanta's (3A, Warm-Humid). Think about the millions of walls that have been built on homes in these colder climate zones for the last few decades. There are going to be serious ramifications with vapor barriers - how and where they have been installed in the wall assemblies, and what class of barrier they've been. Now add cooling, increased solar vapor drive. This is a whole additional layer to think about in terms of climate-resilience and #buildingscience. But there's a fun twist to this we have started to see in the last few years. Just because climate zones migrate northward, doesn't mean less insulation in wall assemblies will be adequate. Polar vortexes, cold snaps like the one in Texas in 2021 - show the need to protect residents and buildings from extreme cold as well. We can't start funding large-scale #Passivhaus retrofits, and mandates for new construction, soon enough. I especially would re-think utilizing assemblies that do not incorporate outsulation, to move the dew point outside of the wall. Because when it comes to resilience against all of these issues - I don't know any other building standard as resilient to heat, cold, #wildfire #smoke, and mold. NASA study here: https://lnkd.in/gbNxBt_b

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐚-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐢-𝐟𝐢—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭.⁣ ⁣ On 24 August 2025, The Observer UK reported that experts now believe a global sea-level rise of at least three metres may be inevitable due to the breakup of Antarctica’s western glaciers. Coastal regions—including Lincolnshire, East and South Yorkshire in the UK, as well as global urban giants like Mumbai, New York, and Shanghai—are alarmingly vulnerable unless we bolster flood defences and rethink our infrastructure planning. ⁣ ⁣ ⸻⁣ ⁣ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬:⁣ • Irreversible shifts demand long-term thinking⁣ This isn’t a future challenge: it’s unfolding now. We need to build with that in mind—both in coastal zones and inland. Every metre of rise drastically alters risk profiles.⁣ • Dual pivot: Mitigation + Adaptation⁣ Cutting emissions remains critical—but on its own, it’s not enough. We must now invest equally in adaptation strategies: sea walls, floodable landscapes, modular design, and managed retreat where needed.⁣ • Strengthened resilience = strategic opportunity⁣ This is our moment to lead. We can innovate materials, embed future-proofing in every foundation, and redefine “safe” in infrastructure—turning threat into a differentiator for sustainable design.⁣ ⁣ ⸻⁣ ⁣ 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧⁣ ⁣ Let’s use this as a rallying cry:⁣ 1. Accelerate climate mitigation—cut carbon, advocate for better policy.⁣ 2. Design for resilience—elevate, relocate, retrofit intelligently.⁣ 3. Educate and collaborate—share best practices across projects and regions.⁣ 4. Lead with vision—turn adaptation drives into competitive, societal wins.⁣ ⁣ “𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘢-𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸’𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴.” ⁣ 🔗 ⁣ https://lnkd.in/ez8EvD2x ⁣ ⁣ 🔎 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴?⁣ ⁣ #SustainabilityLeadership ⁣ SDG 4, 8, 9, 11, 12 & 13 +⁣

🤔 Are we designing buildings for the future—or just making slightly better versions of the past? For years, sustainability in real estate has focused on emissions—cutting energy use, improving materials, and increasing efficiency. Buildings account for 37% of global carbon emissions. We track performance, optimize operations, and retrofit where possible. But well-being has often been an afterthought. A new report from the World Economic Forum highlights a major shift: sustainability is more than net-zero—it’s also about net-positive for people. Key notes: - 37% of global carbon emissions come from the building sector—without system-wide action, that won’t change. - 34% of global biodiversity loss is driven by urban development—buildings must be nature-positive too. - Well-being-oriented buildings enhance livability, community resilience, and access—and hold long-term value. The visual breaks it down: every step of the building value chain—from materials to operations—must integrate four core pillars: ✅ Net zero: Circular materials, low-carbon supply chains, and energy efficiency. ✅ Nature positive: Green spaces, water recycling, and biodiversity integration. ✅ Resilient: Structures designed to withstand extreme weather and reduce reliance on external utilities. ✅ Well-being oriented: Non-toxic materials, shared spaces, and urban planning that actually serves people. The bottom line? Sustainable buildings aren't just about emissions. They’re about resilience, livability, and long-term value. And- its not just a real estate issue. It’s a business strategy, a climate strategy, and a people strategy.

It’s easy to look at Australia’s recent record-low insured losses in renewables and breathe a sigh of relief. But as Amalyah Hart at Renew Economy points out, that calm might be the eye of the storm. As extreme weather events become more severe and more frequent—driven by the El Niño Southern Oscillation and climate change—solar and wind assets will increasingly face the kinds of risks already plaguing the US and Europe: hail, flooding, fire, and cyclones. And with 90% of properties in at-risk regions projected to become uninsurable by 2030, the stakes for climate resiliency in clean energy infrastructure have never been higher. At Nextracker Inc., we saw this storm coming and have spent years engineering innovations to mitigate these very risks—starting with Hail Pro, our industry-leading hail stow solution that enables panels to tilt to safer angles. But we didn’t stop there. Our approach includes robust outer-row reinforcement using thicker steel to shield vulnerable edges, and systemwide resilience against high wind and flooding. Because building for a renewable-powered world means building for a more volatile climate. Resilient tech isn’t a nice-to-have anymore—it’s the cost of doing business in a world of extremes. https://lnkd.in/gTsMQH7T #insurance #solarenergy #extremeweather #futureproofing Juan Palma Anvitha Ravi Nick Price Greg Beardsworth Jyoti Jain Venkata Rahul Abbaraju Peter Wheale Andrew Chino Olivia Smith Gabriel Wong Alexander J V Smith James Butcher Alex Roedel Jay Goldin