Commitment No. 25
Building for the climate of tomorrow

“In many cases, we are still building for the climate of yesterday,” says renowned climate researcher Reto Knutti in an interview with Swiss-Architects. A statement that makes clear the task facing the construction industry: buildings planned today must survive under the climatic conditions of the coming decades.

Climate knowledge becomes the basis for planning
The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly noticeable in Switzerland as well. Longer heat waves, rising temperatures and more frequent weather extremes are changing the requirements for our cities and buildings.

In the interview, Reto Knutti points out why architecture and spatial planning must orient themselves more strongly toward future climatic realities. Those who build today are designing spaces that may still be in use in 2050, 2080 or beyond. Climate protection and adaptation to a changing climate must therefore be part of the planning from the very beginning.

Buildings must master heat
A sustainable building should consume as little energy as possible and at the same time offer pleasant interior spaces even on hot days. It is crucial not to let heat enter the building in an uncontrolled manner in the first place.

Reto Knutti also addresses the importance of shading in the interview: especially in densely built-up cities, dealing with direct solar radiation is becoming a central issue. The building envelope plays a key role here. External solar shading reduces heat input right in front of the window and contributes to keeping the indoor climate stable. Properly planned and intelligently controlled, it improves summer thermal insulation and can significantly reduce the need for energy-intensive cooling.
Solar shading thus becomes an important building block of climate-adapted architecture.

Planning today for what must work tomorrow
The construction industry already possesses a great deal of knowledge and numerous proven solutions. The key is to use them consistently. Climate-capable construction begins at the design stage: with the orientation, the building envelope and the conscious handling of sun, light and heat.

The conversation with Reto Knutti shows: the buildings of tomorrow must be prepared for a climate that has already changed noticeably.

To the full interview at Swiss-Architects:
“In many cases, we are still building for the climate of yesterday”

This article was produced as part of our editorial partnership with World-Architects.

Reto Knutti is a climate physicist and Professor of Climate Physics at ETH Zurich. He obtained his PhD in physics in 2002 and spent several years as a postdoctoral researcher and visiting scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. He was a lead author and coordinating lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports in 2007 and 2013. Knutti has presented his findings at the UN climate negotiations and in the UN expert dialogue. In Switzerland, he played a key role in several climate scenario reports and various national scientific activities. He served as Delegate for Sustainability at ETH Zurich (2015–2022) and President of ProClim (2017–2020). He is currently Chairman of the Center for Climate Systems Modeling, leads the SPEED2ZERO initiative, and is a member of numerous advisory boards.