BSER&T special issue: Overheating and indoor air quality

As cities grow and pressures from a changing climate and limiting energy resources increase, these issues increasingly drive the design and management of buildings. In the UK, there has been much attention paid to the winter performance of buildings in order to reduce heat losses. However, there must also be consideration of the effect that highly insulated and airtight spaces will have on indoor air quality (IAQ) and overheating. In addition, especially in cities, increasing temperatures caused by climate change and intense urbanisation might render conventional cooling measures such as shading and opening windows insufficient given the potential for pollution ingress, noise and security concerns. This special issue was commissioned by the Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC) Network (http://www.arcc-network.org.uk/) which brings together researchers and stakeholders involved in adaptation to technological, social and environmental change in the built environment and infrastructure sectors. Funded by EPSRC, it provides a UKwide network to develop and exchange knowledge and evidence from across the research community to better inform policy and practice. The aim of this special issue is to capture current research on the issues of overheating and IAQ in various building types. The research demonstrates the importance of looking at the overall performance of a building in order to avoid the unintended consequences of pursuing energy efficiency goals. Other themes that emerged from the studies presented in this special issue are the future performance of buildings that have been designed or retrofitted to current requirements, recommendations for addressing the issue of overheating and IAQ, both now and in the future, as well as opportunities for further research.