ABSTRACT
All the Design for Future Climate project teams paid significant attention to thermal comfort, illustrating that of all the projected consequences of climate change, hotter summers are seen to be the most pressing issue for designers and are likely to have the most demonstrable impact on the way we design our buildings. Design for winter thermal comfort must reflect climate, taking account of the natural variability of the weather and including the potential for extreme events in future. Summertime thermal comfort has traditionally been less of a concern, with an expectation that most buildings should be able to provide reasonable internal conditions without mechanical assistance, relying largely on natural ventilation. The majority used overheating and comfort metrics taken from the seventh edition of Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Guide A or other recognised standards current at the time. For naturally ventilated buildings without cooling, an “adaptive” approach to summer comfort can be taken.
