Mobilizing Building Adaptation and Resilience (MBAR)

Design Discussion Primer - Air Quality
Contaminants such as mould, major roads, and building materials, from inside and outside a building can affect indoor air quality. Climate scientists expect an overall increase in wildfire smoke and summer ozone. Exposure has been linked to short and long-term health effects.

Design Discussion Primer - Chronic Stressors
Climate change driven chronic stressors include freeze-thaw cycles, wind-driven rain, wetting and drying, frost penetration, wind-driven abrasive materials, atmospheric chemical deposition on materials, broad-spectrum solar radiation, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Design Discussion Primer - Fire
Includes unplanned wildfires that threaten buildings and fires that start in urban areas to spread and threaten wilderness. Projected to increase in severity and magnitude as a result of climate change.

Design Discussion Primer - Flood Events
Flooding includes extreme rainfall and snow and glacial melt affecting sea, lake and river levels. Impacts can include weakened building foundations, contamination from sewage, and property loss. Flooding is expected to happen more often with climate change.

Design Discussion Primer - Heat Waves
Heat waves are expected to increase in frequency and intensity affecting human health and well-being. Heat waves can be very intense in urban settings where the clustering of heat-absorbing structures and buildings can create a “heat island” effect.

Design Discussion Primer - Power Outages and Emergencies
Extreme temperatures and storms trigger high energy use to cool, heat, or otherwise maintain safety and comfort, especially in buildings with inadequate thermal resilience. High demand can overwhelm the power grid, while storms and floods can damage powerlines and transfer stations.

Design Discussion Primer - Seismic Events
B.C. is considered a high-risk earthquake zone. Current building codes do not guarantee a building will be liveable after an earthquake We can improve seismic recovery and resilience in buildings.

Design Discussion Primer - Severe Storms
Severe weather (thunderstorms, hail, blizzards, ice storms, high winds or heavy rains) often lead to loss of utility services, including storm, sanitary management and energy supply. Design and operations strategies can improve building resilience.

Design Discussion Primer - Wildfires
The number of wildfires is expected to increase with climate change. Fires are a threat to buildings. Wildfire smoke can affect air quality across large parts of the province. Buildings can be adapted to help people cope with air quality.