Durham architect offers tips on ‘future-proofing’ homes after climate change warning

AWARD-WINNING architect Mark Siddall says there are steps North East householders can take to guard against the effects of extreme weather, which is predicted to worsen in the years ahead.

This week, the Government’s climate advisor, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), warned the North East must brace for heatwaves, wildfires and increased flood risk.

Scientific evidence reported by the CCC suggests nationally, peak wildfire conditions in July will almost triple and the frequency of floods will rise throughout the year, with peak river flows likely to increase by 40% in some cases.

And Mark, whose company, LEAP, created the North East’s first Net Zero emissions retrofit home at Shepherd’s Barn in Lanchester, says it is never too soon to consider home improvements that can pay dividends in the long run.

He said: “We spend 90% of our time inside buildings and with an ageing population and increased working from home, we’re likely to spend even more time in our homes. 

“When we put it all together, then we need to think about solutions that improve lives not only in the summer but also in the winter.

“The CCC report has called for all new houses in the country to be designed to cope with temperatures which rise by 1.5 degrees by 2050 – our current target – but also by two degrees and even four degrees, if not enough action is taken to reduce emissions,” said Mark.

“New homes should be warm and comfortable and designed to reduce the risk of overheating, but unfortunately, we don’t have a strong track record in that department.

“LEAP designs homes to the Passivhaus Standard – the world’s leading quality assurance system for low energy buildings – and we would hope that eventually action is taken by the Government to build new homes that respect the highest environmental standards.

“The more we can design and build more planet-friendly buildings, the better the chance we have of keeping rising temperatures down because buildings are one of the world’s major emitters of greenhouse gases.

“However, unlike new build, existing buildings don’t have the advantage of starting with a blank page – you have to work with what you have got.

“The good news though, is that there is  still plenty you can do to improve your home’s energy resilience, cut costs over the long-term and reduce emissions, which is important, because buildings are one of the world’s major emitters of planet-warming gases.”

Inspired by the award-winning Shepherds Barn refurbishment, here’s Mark’s tips on ways to make your home more resilient by controlling overheating risk while making the house more comfortable and cutting heating bills:

Mark’s tips:

1. Before implementing any measures, check the flood risk of your house and decide whether you need to install flood protection measures. There’s a free tool you can use: https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk
2. Insulate your house properly; this not only reduces the rate at which heat leaves your house, but in a heat wave reduces the rate at which it gets into your house.
3. Mechanical ventilation with energy recovery not only improves air quality by filtering out the fine particles found in smoke, but also helps you to keep warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
4. Replace old windows with triple glazing, which reduces heat loss and solar heat gain.
5. If you live in a house with large windows, consider reducing the size so that they are optimised for good daylight but less solar heat gain.
6. Add solar shading if you cannot reduce the size of your windows. This cuts out unwanted heat gains.
7. Replace your gas boiler with a suitable heat pump. If you specify the right heat pump, you can heat your house in the winter and cool your house during a heatwave.
8. Once you have done all of these things, you could consider adding photovoltaic solar panels and a battery storage system so that you can run your heat pump in the summer without needing to use mains electricity.