An adaptive framework for assessing climate resilience in buildings

Abstract

As global climates continue to evolve, the urgency to enhance built environments against environmental challenges becomes more pronounced. Inspired by the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI)—a system for assessing a building’s smart readiness—this study introduces a framework to assess and evaluate climate resilience in buildings. The framework assesses a building’s ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from adverse climate-related events. It begins with a climate exposure analysis that examines certain hazards and incorporates historical weather data for a comprehensive exposure analysis. Based on this analysis, a structured and quantifiable approach is employed to assess and benchmark the resilience of different building typologies across several domains. The assessment is grounded in qualitative analysis through extensive literature research, institutional guidelines, and best practices. It also employs a dynamic weighting based on the exposure assessment of a building’s location, assigning resilience importance according to the climate risks faced. Initially applied to two buildings in Athens, Greece, and Helsinki, Finland—locations with significantly different climatic characteristics—the framework was then tested in experimental simulations. These simulations highlight the framework’s adaptability to different climatic conditions. Finally, we summarize the major findings of the research, emphasizing its importance in promoting climate-resilient building practices, supporting the inventory of building stock, and aiding decision-making against increasingly intense and frequent climate risks.