A few days ago during the scorching heat in the UK (record 40 degrees) A Twitter user depicted the growing problem in the country: “This is why exceeding 36ºC is disastrous here, when in another country it would only be somewhat annoying: houses without awnings, without air conditioning, small windows and designed to trap heat and keep it outside at night not let out”. Capitalized hell is experienced in the British countryside these days.

However, it is not the only country in Europe that is now facing the scorching heat. These sun-hungry nations are not used to prolonged high temperatures for most of the year. Not only people are poorly adapted: almost all of them have homes.

contemporary problems. Houses in northern European countries such as Britain or Germany have been built for decades with one goal: to keep people warm in winter. For this reason, air conditioning is almost never included in them, as summers are generally mild. Now, climate change is turning it all upside down. Did they want energy efficiency? Well, there they take it.

In the 1970s, following the oil crisis, governments began to focus on more airtight urban planning, sealing homes to allow heat to escape and thus reducing fuel consumption for heating. This meant redoing the buildings and insulating the new ones. But as temperatures rose, experts became aware of the problem: reduced airflow. A problem that becomes bigger in cities where even outdoor concrete absorbs heat during the day and radiates it at night. The so-called urban heat island effect.

This is why 36+ degrees is disastrous in the UK, when in Australia it will just be annoyingly hot. Homes that have no awning, no air con, small windows, and are usually designed to trap heat, don’t let it out at night. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/0scjSTlDck

UK case, Millions of homes were built across the country when heat waves were a rare weather phenomenon. And now, the price to pay is this: 20% of homes are already heated in the summer. After a decade of criticism, the government introduced a “Future Homes Standard” policy in 2021: from now on all homes must be well ventilated and temperature resistant. However, this 2022 wave has eluded them.

Transport and urbanization. As we mentioned in other Magnet articles these days, some countries have canceled trains because of the risk of steel tracks melting or overheating. Keep in mind that some railways in France or the UK are very old and built with steel tracks that are 20 degrees above ambient temperature. The London Underground dates back to 1863 and many trains still do not have air conditioning.

Then there is the heat island effect, where the concrete buildings and surfaces of large cities absorb and amplify the already intense heat. Green spaces have diminished in much of Europe and it has become necessary to replant trees in pedestrian areas to create shade and protect concrete and asphalt from overheating.

architecture, Experts explain in this article that one of the keys to avoiding all this is to ensure that homes have windows facing the opposite direction, allowing the wind to blow through. However, modern apartments often have windows on only one side, making airflow difficult. And that is only when the window can be opened. Materials can also help. But of course, because of cost, floors are made with materials with low thermal mass that cannot absorb heat during the day and release it at night.

influence. They are destructive, as we are seeing. In a skyscraper in Shenzhen, China, high temperatures were blamed for shaking the structure and causing it to evacuate, as the steel was cracking from the heat. Materials, especially metals, expand when heated, which can cause them to bend. Extreme temperatures can also melt them.

it all comes together at a common pointClimate change and its consequences. As we have seen, money does not protect against the effects of global warming and all countries (even the rich ones) will have to adapt quickly to stop its effects. Because yes, the damage will be indiscriminate, no matter where in the world you are. In fact, modern buildings in wealthy countries are at greater risk than ordinary traditional structures.

Solution, Even in less developed countries that suffer from this problem, projects are underway to revive architectural styles that use local materials when they cool naturally. For example, as discussed in this Surface article, handmade homes made of sun-dried clay bricks are being revived in India to absorb heat. Keep in mind that this country adopted cement as a major building material in the late 20th century. It doesn’t seem to be working.

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