I see more and more white tubes in the city this summer, dangling from the windows of homes. I am, of course, referring to the mobile air conditioners that have been mass-purchased to cool our well-insulated homes. Homes that, according to calculations, meet the strictest BENG score, neatly calculated in the advisory process. Without sun shading, but with thermal ernergy storage, they even meet the requirement on paper about limiting the risk of overheating in new-build homes.
However, practice shows something different. Many homes do not meet the standards at all, but clever software, old climate data, and the magic words 'sun-protective glass' offer us a handy solution to avoid having to tackle the real measures – the steps we actually need to take to combat heat. And where you don't see a white tube hanging out of the window, a complete air conditioning system is hidden away in the home.
It is time to use other climate data – namely, predictions for the future. Time for sun shading to become a fixed part of architecture, preferably with plenty of overhangs that keep the summer sun out but let the winter sun in. Time for the 'Nearly Energy-Neutral Building' standard to account for the qualities of biobased and biogenic materials. This calls for new principles: daylight calculations that consider overhangs, summer night ventilation instead of a heat recovery system, or incorporating the phase shift that wood construction, clay plaster, and insulation made from flax or hemp can provide.
I might miss the white tubes as I cycle through the city. But if I get thoughtful, future-proof architecture in return, that is a trade I am happy to make.