UK SUMMERS ARE GETTING HOTTER
We British love to talk about the weather and recently, that conversation’s been changing.
“How to stay cool” has become a regular topic of office debate here, and it’s the same question on homeowners’ minds: not just how to keep a house cool, but how to stop it overheating in the first place.
UK summers have changed. Heatwaves that once felt like rare events are becoming a regular occurrence, and homes that were built – or extended – with only winter in mind can struggle to stay comfortable as temperatures rise. Bedrooms that don’t cool down until the early hours. Glass roofed kitchen extensions that turn into greenhouses in July. Loft conversions that are unusable on the hottest days of the year. It’s something we hear more often from clients, usually after they’ve just lived through a hot summer in a home that wasn’t built for one.
Air conditioning has its place, particularly in retrofit situations where the building form limits what’s possible. But it should be a last resort, not a starting point. We believe that good design should reduce the need for it in the first place.
The problem is that much of the UK’s housing stock – old and new – was designed around keeping heat in, rather than managing too much of it.
Why insulation alone isn't the answer
Good insulation and airtightness are essential for keeping a home warm and cutting energy bills, but on their own they don’t solve overheating. A well-sealed home with large, unshaded windows can trap summer heat just as effectively as it keeps out winter cold.
The answer isn’t simply more insulation. It’s considering summer comfort as part of the whole design from the outset, rather than trying to solve overheating once the layout has already been agreed.
That’s why, on every project, we cons
ider summer comfort alongside winter performance from concept stage. How the building sits on its site, where sunlight enters throughout the day, the amount of glass, opportunities for natural airflow and where shade is needed all influence how comfortable a home will feel.
These decisions are easiest to get right at the start of a project – and much harder to correct afterwards
That’s why, on every project, we consider summer comfort alongside winter performance from concept stage. Orientation, the size and position of glazing, how a room is ventilated, where shading naturally falls through the day – these decisions are cheapest and easiest to get right at the very start of a project, and much harder to fix afterwards.
Design considerations to keep your home comfortable in all seasons
There’s no single solution to overheating because every home is different. The key is to consider summer comfort from the earliest design stages, when simple decisions can make a significant difference to how a home feels throughout the year.
Some of the most effective design responses are also surprisingly simple.
Shading – a well-placed pergola, canopy or overhang can block direct summer sun from reaching glazing before it ever becomes a problem indoors, while still letting in low winter light.
On our Shelvers Spur project, we angled the extension itself and added an overhang above the glazing, so the design controls sunlight orientation without relying on blinds or curtains to do the job afterwards.
Careful glazing – positioning and sizing windows to suit the direction they face, rather than maximising glass everywhere for its own sake.
Natural ventilation – windows and openings positioned so a breeze can move naturally through a room, and not just allow light.
Planting and external screening – trees, climbers or louvred screens that soften solar gain without shutting out the garden.
Passivhaus and EnerPHit principles – a more rigorous, whole-building approach to both insulation and ventilation, well suited to clients who want a home engineered to perform consistently well year-round.
Many of these are passive design strategies. Once designed into the building, they can work quietly in the background, reducing reliance on mechanical cooling and helping the home stay comfortable throughout the year.
A decision made once, lived with for decades
The homes and extensions we design now need to work for the future, when summers like the ones we’ve experienced recently may be the norm rather than the exception.
Getting the fundamentals right – orientation, shading, ventilation and glazing – is what good architecture has always been about: creating a building that works for the people living in it, in the climate they’re actually living in.
If your home already struggles in hot weather, or you’re planning an extension, renovation or new build, it’s worth thinking about summer comfort from the outset – not once the building is finished.
AT REIGATE ARCHITECTS...
We consider how a home will perform throughout the seasons from the earliest design stages.
If you’re planning a project in Surrey or the surrounding areas, talk to us about what could work for your home.
Book a free initial consultation.
