Adapting our homes and communities to cope with the climate of the 21st century

Climate change is inescapable. Even if the whole world stopped pumpingcarbon dioxide into the sky today, at least forty years of climatechange are ahead of us, thanks to the long time lag within the Earth’secosystem. As the century progresses, extremes will become more common:heat-waves, drought, storms and floods will test the design of ourbuildings and the resilience of our communities. We also face the slowrise of sea levels and the secondary impacts of climate change,especially on energy and food security.

Britain has a mild, temperate climate and occasional weather extremestend to have serious impacts because we are simply not prepared forthem. Yet across the world, communities have been living with suchextremes for millennia. If we have the imagination to learn from othersand rethink the ways we build and live together, we can face thisunsettling future with confidence.

Homes for a Changing Climate celebrates this collective wisdom,exploring traditional and contemporary responses to the challenges ofclimate and illustrating the many ways in which houses can be designed,built and adapted to cope with these challenges. Examples are drawnfrom across Europe ñ from the dry volcano of Thera to the 100mph windsof the Western Isles ñ and from cutting edge eco-building projects inBritain. Combining inspiring case studies, striking photography andpractical advice, Homes for a Changing Climate is a book of imagination and hope in difficult times.

The Author: Will Anderson is Senior Researcher for the Centre forSustainable Energy, based in Bristol. He has a published academicbackground in health and social research but now writes with a focus onecological design; he is a regular contributor to Timber Building. Hisseveral degrees include one in sustainable development. His TreeHouse’ in Clapham, the subject of his book Diary of an Eco-Builder, was completed in 2006. Will’s website is www.treehouseclapham.org.uk