Bruntwood, in partnership with the University of Manchester, has announced that its Eco Cities Initiative for Sustainable Cities, will use office buildings as 'living laboratories' to test climate change adaptation methods.
Climate modelling undertaken by the Forestry Commission suggests that by 2080, the temperature in Manchester will mirror that of the current climate in Naples. This will mean that during the height of summer, the temperature in a typical office building will reach up to 28°C. When the air-con broke in our office this summer, the heat was more than enough to slow us down so understanding the changes will be important in maintaining a productive workforce.
Michael Oglesby, Chairman of Bruntwood said: "Although the battle to gain acceptance of global warming is now almost won, the task of gaining a clear understanding of what practically and realistically can be done to adapt to its impacts is to a large extent still the topic of much debate and uncertainty."
The Eco Cities project will explore methods of adapting existing
office space to the effects of climate change to ensure comfortable working conditions can be maintained, without relying on energy hungry technology.
