Government rightly stepped in to tackle overheating in homes

By Stuart Fairlie 2022-01-18T07:00:00

Demonstrating compliance with the new Part O building regulation should be a priority now for housebuilders

The Egyptians and Romans knew exactly how to do it. Even the Victorians got it. But now the government has stepped in with new building regulations – Part O in England – to address the fact that we seem to have lost the art of correctly orientating, designing and constructing homes that don’t overheat for days on end in hot weather.

Over the last 20 years, building regulations have evolved to encourage higher levels of insulation, more airtight buildings and increased solar gains. While this is great for energy efficiency, one of the unintended consequences of this is that buildings are more likely to overheat. As the climate warms, overheating in buildings is becoming an increasingly widespread issue.

…

Already registered? Login here

To continue enjoying Building.co.uk, sign up for free guest access

Existing subscriber? LOGIN

Stay at the forefront of thought leadership with news and analysis from award-winning journalists. Enjoy company features, CEO interviews, architectural reviews, technical project know-how and the latest innovations.

Limited access to building.co.uk
Breaking industry news as it happens
Breaking, daily and weekly e-newsletters

Get your free guest access SIGN UP TODAY

Subscribe now for unlimited access

Subscribe to Building today and you will benefit from:

Unlimited access to all stories including expert analysis and comment from industry leaders
Our league tables, cost models and economics data
Our online archive of over 10,000 articles
Building magazine digital editions
Building magazine print editions
Printed/digital supplements

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

View our subscription options and join our community