University at Buffalo (UB)
Preparing New York State's buildings for climate change
A new project led by the School of Architecture and Planning and NYSERDA studies the effects of climate change on the building sector in New York state.
Published April 15, 2016 This content is archived.
Extreme weather events related to climate change are on the rise, putting our buildings - and, in turn, human life and our economy - at risk.
Imagine: increased flooding, air conditioning as an essential, or even more termites. To help policymakers, builders and homeowners prepare for climate change, architect professor Nick Rajkovich, the UB Regional Institute and NYSERDA have launched an important new research initiative.
The multi-year research is supported by NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) and led by Nicholas Rajkovich, assistant professor of architecture.
Rajkovich says the research will fill an important knowledge gap: although the building stock interacts with energy use, transportation patterns and public health, most recent assessments of climate change have failed to address the role of buildings in adapting to climate change. The team will deliver recommendations to policymakers, builders, building managers and homeowners based on four research and outreach goals:
- Determine how climate change will impact New York's buildings
- Calculate the potential economic costs of those impacts
- Identify the most promising strategies for preparing our buildings for climate change
- Demonstrate results through reports, journal publications, symposia, online courses and webinars
Related research: Nicholas Rajkovich has also designed a bicycle weather station to learn more about the heat island effect on urban environments. Learn more