Award-winning architect and TV presenter Dr Piers Taylor talks Kirsty McLuckie through nine green predictions, taking in Passivhaus tech through to vertical gardens.

The need to adapt our homes to cope with the rising heat of climate change has never been more urgent, with March this year confirmed as the world’s hottest month on record.

More than half of homes in the UK are already overheating during summer months, with many more ill-prepared for the hotter, drier summers and wetter winters predicted to come as the climate changes.

But, advances in green technology can help our living spaces adapt. To predict what our future homes will look like in years to come, energy firm OVO has worked with architect and BBC TV presenter, Dr Piers Taylor to share his predictions.

New report from OVO and Green Alliance highlights urgent need for UK homes to adapt to cope with impacts of climate change, as half of Brits say their homes are already overheating in the summer as temperatures rise.

He says: “When imagining our future world, we often conjure up images of self-driving cars, robots, and cities under water. But, in order to meet the challenges of climate change, it’s important we considerwhat will be required to radically decarbonise and modernise the home.

“We need to think of the home as one ‘ecosystem’ of interconnectedness – where every aspect of performance is integrated and working efficiently together.

“We’re already making positive strides – uptake of smart meters is on the rise and last year solar panel installations hit a 12-year high, but in the future, we need to take the concept of a ‘green home’ up a notch. These are my nine predictions on features the modern home will need in order to be truly green.”

1 Passivhaus premium standards This refers to an extremely superior level of efficiency and insulation, enabled via a reduced thermal transference through the surfaces of the home. Insulation needs to be a priority to make the most out of any additional green upgrades and reduce the amount of heat passing through the walls, floor and roof.

Helping Brits understand how green technology can help their homes adapt, architect and TV presenter Piers Taylor predicts the features of climate change-resistant future homes.

2 Breathable membranes Premium insulation should be combined with technology that creates an airtight seal, enveloping your home. This can be done by adding a layer of breathable membrane on top of your insulation, so moisture can escape but draughts can’t enter –acting as a vapour-control layer that covers the outer layer of insulation in the walls and roof.

3 Thermally-broken windows While double-glazed windows are currently the norm, these need to be upgraded to be thermally broken. These create an extra barrier in the window frame where gas, such as argon, is inserted, generating a vacuum that prevents the transference of heat and boosts efficiency.

Positioning can also have an impact, I see large windows that cover the whole wall on the southside, with much smaller windows on the northside.

4 Self-heating homes The ultimate goal is to reach a level of insulation where we don’t require active heating. In the future, heat recovery systems will need to be used to redistribute waste energy from both people and appliances, such as our ovens, fridges and chargers.

5 Solar skins Currently,we harness the power of solar through panels on our roofs, but in future homes we could see solar energyabsorbed through smart glass, tiles and cladding, creating a “solar skin” on buildings.

These can have a dual benefit as they can also be used to cool down your home, by absorbing heat and creating a barrier.

6 Reverse heat pumps Much of our thinking has been concerned with heating our homes, but it is also important to keep heat out. Reverse heat pumps are an innovative technology that can be used to draw both warm and cool air from the air or ground.

7 Exterior louvres Shading is a hugely important way to avoid heat gain. Today, we do this using internal blinds. But as we adapt to hotter temperatures, we will have to consider shading on the exterior of our homes too, with external louvres, shutters, or awnings.

8 Waterproof flooding barriers With flooding becoming more common, mitigation measures in the home should become mainstream. These include waterproof barriers, like floodgates at doorways to keep rising water out. It will be a good idea to also have plug sockets positioned higher on the walls and fed from above – beneficial if water does enter.

9 Vertical gardens Trees, green roofs, and walls – also known as vertical gardens – offer significant potential for cooling. Increasing urban tree coverage can reduce average city temperatures by 0.4 degrees, with some small areas benefiting by up to 6 degrees, according to the Green Alliance. Green roofs and walls will be used to manage water runoff, in the event of extreme downpours, through water absorption.

Dr Piers Taylor on the Passive approach to climate action