Climate Resilience: Adapting Residential Blocks for a Changing Climate

Mitigation is action to limit climate change by reducing the production of greenhouse gases or the removing these gases from the atmosphere. Net zero targets are mitigation and include the low or zero carbon heating systems and renewable generation.
Net Zero is where all related Greenhouse Gas emissions have been reduced in line with a science based target which aligns with what has been determined to be necessary to stand a reasonable chance of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C. Actions to become Net Zero do not necessarily result in buildings becoming resilient.

Climate resilience is the ability to prepare for, anticipate and respond to events that negatively impact buildings and their occupants such as flooding and overheating.  Resilience includes maintaining buildings as well as adapting then so systems and fabric can cope with increasingly extreme weather events.

Adaptation is the adjustment of physical, ecological, social and economic systems to limit the negative impacts of climate change. This can be the addition of flood protection and solar shading, or increased maintenance budget.

The growing threat: floods, heatwaves, storms, droughts

Climate change represents a profound physical threat to the built environment, with residential blocks, buildings, and sites facing a range of impacts and vulnerabilities due to age, materials, and construction techniques. By developing an innovative, multidisciplinary approach to assessing climate risk and vulnerability for residential sites, Ingleton Wood supports our clients to effectively plan the care of their assets, managing and adapting where possible, and preparing for the future.

Climate change projections suggest that a rapidly changing climate will intensify existing threats and create new hazards for buildings, the organisations that care for them, and their occupants. The latest Climate Change Committee report assessing adaptation, published in April 2025, states that there is now unequivocal evidence that climate change is resulting in more extreme weather in the UK.
Climate change hazards include higher rainfall, heavy downpour events and flooding, more frequent and intense droughts, higher humidities, storms, and rising sea levels. All these hazards multiply the occurrence and impacts of building defects and increase risk and vulnerability for historic fabric, collections, and landscapes.

For example, higher temperatures can lead to cracking of materials, and seasonal variations can worsen the shrinking and swelling (‘soil heave’) of clay subsoils beneath buildings. Higher Relative Humidity (RH) for prolonged periods increases incidents of fabric decay, microbiological growth, and attacks from pests. Higher levels of rainfall, along with heavy downpour events, will increase saturation of building fabric and potentially impact the rate of deterioration and decay. It is, therefore, important to determine the effects of these threats in order to develop suitable conservation management strategies and a record of historic fabric if it is likely to be lost.
Flooding is the UK’s primary hazard, with insurance industry modelling placing 1 in 4 properties at risk. In September 2024, some areas of the UK experienced the equivalent of a typical month’s worth of rainfall in one day, demonstrating the extremes our buildings now need to withstand. The vulnerability of the built environment varies with micro-climates, types of construction, and age and condition of buildings, bringing unique risks and opportunities for resilience and adaptation.

Caring for our buildings, understanding their vulnerabilities, and planning for their resilience has never been more urgent, and by assessing the average projected changes to climate variables as well as considering extremes, these risks and opportunities can be effectively identified and planned for.  A building’s setting impacts how it will be affected by climate change; understanding this is key to determining its potential vulnerability and resilience. Urban environments with little green space intensify periods of high temperature and hard surfaces can increase surface water flood risk.

Reviewing location-specific details, materials information, and, where available, building monitoring data supported by local climate modelling allows the determination of potential future conditions, impacts, and vulnerabilities. It can also allow the identification of opportunities and areas of resilience.

How climate change affects homes and communities

Climate change is already affecting our homes and communities, and the impacts are growing.
Hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves are causing homes, particularly in dense urban areas or older buildings, to overheat. This affects health, comfort, and increases energy use for cooling, raising both bills and emissions. Ingleton Wood has worked with our clients to model the best adaptation options to reduce overheating to ensure greatest benefit and value for money is achieved, By identify the most effective options we can also highlight tipping points where additional cooling and ventilation will be needed and the impact on energy consumption and bills this will have.

Identifying risks and the most effective practical action to increase resilience we can add value to projects and ensure quality outcomes. Vulnerable groups are most at risk, and the added strain on housing and infrastructure is growing. Without action, climate change will continue to worse existing inequalities and put further pressure on our build environment with the inevitable impact of increased costs.

Benefits of adaptation: safety, comfort, property value

To respond, blocks must be made more resilient and energy efficient.
Adaptation measures like improved shading, insulation, ventilation, green infrastructure, and flood protection are essential. At the same time, cutting emissions from blocks remains vital to limit future risks.

 For further expert advice, please contact:

Morwenna Slade, Climate Change Director at Ingleton Wood.

Morwenna.slade@ingletonwood.co.uk | 01865 411475

Daniel Legg, Partner at Ingleton Wood

daniel.legg@ingletonwood.co.uk | 020 7680 4400

Further information and project case studies can be found on our website:

http://www.ingletonwood.co.uk

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