Description
Buildings have evolved traditionally based on local resources and skills. They rely on passive mechanisms for indoor comfort, whereas contemporary buildings, made primarily of bricks, concrete and steel, depend mainly on active mechanisms. Such buildings are becoming less habitable as an implication of climate change. The risk due to climate change and related extreme weather events is increasing beyond predictions in most parts of the world. It poses a severe threat to human well-being due to accelerating global temperatures and its consequences. This unique research integrates building and climate sciences to investigate the vulnerability and adaptation of buildings to climate change. Given the warming tendency that causes overheating of the buildings, this study aims to provide potential information to adapt to warming weather. A conceptual framework is developed in this dissertation to examine the vulnerability and adaptation of buildings. Following the framework, the climate classification concerning the built environment was evaluated as it determines the essential aspects of a built environment. It is understood that the existing classifications must be revised in the context of climate change to provide appropriate guidelines for the design and construction of buildings.As this study spans the spatial scales of climate zone locations and building envelopes, a few buildings (houses) were selected from the villages within three climate zones. Subsequently, a thermal vulnerability assessment was carried out to see the impact of climate change on those houses. The thermal performance of building envelopes and the thermal comfort of occupants were analyzed, considering the warming trend of those locations. Conventional buildings (made of brick/concrete) were found to be more vulnerable than vernacular buildings (made of local materials), given climate change. Evaluation of building adaptation follows vulnerability analysis according to the framework, intending to propose strategies for improving building adaptation. A few strategies were selected to retrofit the conventional buildings without disturbing the existing structures and adapting them to climate change. Those selected options are further assessed for their thermal performance and comfort. As the heat transfer capacity of a single building envelope is better identified through thermal transmittance (U-Value), current research attempts to develop an ‘Effective U-value’ index to encompass multipleenvelopes. While this dissertation could become a guideline for climate change buildingadaptation, more region-specific and passive strategies are vital for a better and healthier indoor environment.
| Period | 2024 → … |
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| Examinee | Aysha S |
| Examination held at |
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| Degree of Recognition | International |