Climate change adaptation design resources
The effects of climate change pose significant challenges for the built environment. Will mechanical systems provide cool air on the record-breaking hottest day? Will gutters, downspouts and drainage systems have the capacity for sustained heavy rain?
Will the buildings you design today be able to accommodate environmental conditions in 30 years? 80 years?
Use these resources as a guide to help prepare your building to handle potential changes in our climate. Some examples of the resources include simulation tools to assist with the visualization of environmental impacts on buildings, and case studies and processes that illustrate examples and models for assessing vulnerabilities.
- Responding to Climate Change: Explore the impacts of a warming planet on buildings and communities, tools to refer to during design, and the associated adaptation and mitigation design strategies. Published in 2018.
- Building Resilience in Boston: Best Practices for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience for Existing Buildings: A review of national and international programs, initiatives, and activities related to improving the resilience of existing buildings to climate change impacts. Published in 2013.
- National Climate Assessment Report: Examines projected regional impacts of climate change. Also includes a chapter specifically on the built environment, urban systems, and cities. Published in 2018.
- Cal-Adapt: Provides a view of how climate change might affect California. Find tools, data, and resources.
- NYC Climate Resilient Design Guidelines: Provides project planning and benefit cost analysis processes as well as design recommendations to manage extreme heat, increasing precipitation, and sea level rise. Published in 2019.
- Promising Practices in Adaptation & Resilience: A compilation of case studies examining climate adaptation planning at the community scale
- US Climate Resilience Toolkit: Scientific tools, information, and expertise to help manage climate-related risks and opportunities and improve resilience to extreme events
- Voluntary Resilience Standards: An Assessment of the Emerging Market for Resilience in the Built Environment: A report showcasing leading standards that provide guidance for preparing buildings, infrastructure, and other systems for hazards as well as fostering community cohesion. Published in 2017.
- Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange: A knowledge sharing platform that provides case studies, tools, and resources on all phases of climate adaptation and cover local, regional, and national scales within the United States.
Image credits