Study finds architects going beyond building regs amid climate concern

Nine in 10 architects are going above and beyond the minimum requirements for tackling overheating in new homes, as developers seek to protect residents against extreme heatwaves, according to a new study by Pilkington UK.

The manufacturer polled 100 architects 12 months on from the introduction of Part O building regulations, which laid out stricter measures for new homes to minimise their risk of overheating.

Two in five architects said Part O would be the top driver for incorporating an overheating mitigation strategy over the next five years, while 32% said extreme heatwaves would be the primary driver. 

Solutions for combating overheating, like solar control glazing, are becoming increasingly important to new UK homes as the country becomes more accustomed to experiencing more extreme levels of heat, according to 86% of respondents.

However, one in seven architects polled said they most commonly incorporate air conditioning systems to help limit overheating, despite Part O instructing architects to exhaust all passive measures for mitigating overheating before considering mechanical cooling.

The study found that the majority of architects (57%) had found compliance with Part O easy and 71% agreed there is a missed opportunity in Part O limiting the strictest measures only to London and central Manchester, with other areas at a similar risk of overheating.

Phil Brown, European regulatory marketing manager at Pilkington UK, said: “Architects going beyond minimum requirements for overheating is encouraging to see. But it questions whether the landmark Part O regulations went far enough, and if they are out of step with developers’ ambitions for new homes following last summer’s record-breaking heatwave events.”