Building resilience in urban areas : exploring climate change adaptation strategies for buildings in urban areas of Tshwane, South Africa

Abstract

The issues pertaining to the changing climatic conditions on the landscape demand urgent measures to enhance resilience of new building infrastructure and already existing buildings, particularly in Tshwane, South Africa, which are vulnerable to extreme weather events. This research focuses on investigating building technologies as climate adaptation strategies for multi-story apartment buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, where regular and severe heat surges create substantial challenges. By addressing the research problem of enhancing thermal adaptive capacity, the study intends to recognize technologies and strategies that can serve as interventions towards adapting to the changes in climatic conditions. Through a thorough analysis of selected case studies, the research examines how these building technologies aid in local climate adaptation strategies, specifically targeting their potential for improving thermal amelioration.

The study examines the methods used to evaluate the thermal adaptive capacity of these technologies, analyses their reported outcomes, efficiencies, benefits, and shortcomings, and examines material and technical considerations associated with their implementation.

The findings from this investigation aim to provide valuable guidance for enhancing the resilience of multi-story residential buildings in South African urban areas, particularly within the context of Tshwane's climate conditions.