Are Traditional Buildings Sustainable: Traditional Structures & Energy Efficiency
With the topic of climate change being at the forefront of global conversation, sustainability is a key concern across various sectors, particularly within construction! One question that often arises is just how much of a contributor to climate change are our traditional structures: should our old leaky buildings be knocked down and replaced with new, more energy efficient buildings?
What makes Traditional Buildings different?
Traditional buildings, constructed with local materials and using methods passed down through generations, often reflect the environmental and cultural context of their time. Locally sourced materials like stone, timber, and lime, often have lower environmental impacts than many modern building materials: The buildings were designed to work with their surroundings, utilising natural ventilation, thermal mass, and were regularly sited to take advantage of local topography and weather conditions to enhance comfort and efficiency.
Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings
One of the most notable differences between traditional buildings and more modern buildings is how they manage heat and ventilation
Thermal Mass: Thick walls built from materials such as stone and brick absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, helping to regulate indoor temperatures naturally.
Natural Ventilation: Traditional buildings often have features like high ceilings, fire places and chimneys and sliding sash windows that promote efficient ventilation, reducing the need for artificial cooling systems.
Insulation: Keeping the walls of traditional buildings dry is key to keeping them warm. Using vapour open or ‘breathable’ insulation materials is essential to avoid trapping moisture in the walls. Insulation materials like, wool, hemp, wood fibre and cork are effective in keeping buildings warm in winter and cool in summer.
How can Retrofitting help?
While traditional buildings have inherent sustainable features, they may benefit significantly from installing energy saving and renewable energy generation measures (retrofitting). Some common retrofitting practices that might be suitable for traditional buildings include:
Insulation Upgrades: Adding vapour open or ‘breathable’ insulation materials to lofts and roofs or insulating internally or externally with a solid hemp or cork lime plaster to reduce heat loss.
Efficient Glazing: Installing secondary glazing to windows to improve thermal performance.
Renewable Energy Systems: Integrating solar panels, heat pumps, or biomass boilers to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Maintenance Matters
The key to improving energy efficiency in any building is to ensure it is in good working order. If gutters are broken, downpipes missing, chimneys leaking, and the walls are damp then installing retrofit measures is only going to go part way to saving energy and money.
‘The greenest building is one that already exists’
An enormous amount of energy goes into constructing a building so to knock it down is a waste. Take advantage of their in-built thermal mass and ventilation features, maintain them and use appropriate retrofit measures so our traditional buildings can continue to be healthy to live in.
Still eager to learn more? Read our recent report on energy efficiency within older structures here
