Chmutina_Building for a changing climate_book review.pdf (53.37 kB)
Download fileBuilding for a changing climate: the challenge for construction, planning and energy by Peter F Smith [book review]
It is a well-known fact that adapting to climate change
is much more cost effective than taking emergency
measures afterwards (Stern, 2006). And buildings,
being a long-term investment, are certainly a relevant
sector for such adaptation. The literature on the
adaptation of buildings to climate change is vast,
ranging from location-specific books (e.g. New York
City Panel on Climate Change, 2010) to technical
guidance books (e.g. Roaf et al., 2009) and design
(e.g. Hyde et al., 2007) to multi-disciplinary perspectives
of the impacts of climate change on the built
environment (e.g. Moore, 2010; Booth et al., 2012).
This book is a pleasant exception. While the title of
the book may make you think about buildings and
construction only, this book is more than that, and it
becomes clear once you examine the table of
contents. The aim of this book is not to find a silver
bullet for a construction sector threatened by climate
change, or to discuss the challenges imposed by
climate change on the construction sector; rather, this
book explores the implications of climate change for
buildings and cities providing excellent examples
(written as well as visual) of these implications under
the High Emissions Scenario (HES). It does not give
patronizing recommendations on how things have to
be done, but rather introduces options that provide
a thinking ground on energy consumption and
generation, materials and design for those interested
in the subject. [...continues].
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