Bridging the gap: co-designing passive cooling futures with UK households

<p dir="ltr">Overheating in UK homes is a growing challenge, intensified by climate change, urbanisation, and evolving comfort expectations. Despite this, passive and low-energy cooling solutions remain underutilised by householders. There is also a lack of user-centred approaches in retrofit measures that address overheating, such as solar shading, improved ventilation, reflective materials, and thermal mass strategies, despite their proven value in enhancing comfort during heatwaves. This paper explores how co-design, a participatory research approach that involves end users as equal collaborators, can support the development and adoption of sustainable cooling strategies that reflect householders’ lived experiences and needs. It recognises the importance of including those affected by over-<br>heating in shaping solutions. Using qualitative, co-design methods, the study engages both householders and key stakeholders, such as policymakers, suppliers, and local authorities, participatory design ensures diverse perspectives are integrated into the final outcome [1]. Focusing on privately owned homes in England, the study employs qualitative, co-design methods to investigate householders’ decision-making processes, barriers to adoption, and opportunities to scale up passive, low-energy cooling solutions.</p>