The UK government has confirmed that it will be undertaking a comprehensive review of Approved Document O, the regulations designed to mitigate overheating risks in new buildings. This comes after receiving feedback from the housing and construction industry.
Part O was originally introduced in 2021 and incorporated into the Future Homes Standard consultation; Part O has been embraced for addressing the growing issues of overheating in residential buildings. However, some issues have been raised regarding complexity, clarity and consistency, as well as the practical application of the Simplified Method.
Key issues were raised during the review, such as effectiveness of ventilation strategies, building fabric and orientation, challenges with dynamic thermal modelling, security concerns linked to night time ventilation and the impact of climate change and future weather scenarios.
In response, the government has outlined a plan to complete a full technical review of Part O. These include:
- Adoption of the updated CIBSE TM59 for dynamic modelling
- Improvements to the simplified method
- Review of noise and security guidance
- Consideration of expanding Part O to material change of use dwellings
- Analysis of conflicts with other parts of the Building Regulations
- Updated weather files reflecting future climate scenarios.
This is a welcomed announcement as climate resilience has become a large consideration in housing designs. This review is an important opportunity to create clearer and more consistent requirements for all within the industry while maintaining the core objectives: protecting occupants from overheating risks in their homes.
A relevant review given the current (and third) heatwave we are experiencing in the UK right now.