Integrating climate science into building science demands a significant shift in design thinking, particularly from design professionals as project leaders. Designers bear the important responsibility as licensed professionals to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare. If design professionals aren't considering future climate conditions when designing structures and communities, then who will?
The pushback
A common refrain from some design firms is, “We’re not climate scientists, and climate change impacts are far down the road.” This mindset, however, overlooks the immediate and growing risks to projects and the built environment. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, such as the record-breaking events of 2023, are stark reminders that the future is now. The financial, social, and environmental costs of these events underscore the necessity for design professionals to marry climate science with building science.
Legal implications
From a professional liability standpoint, design professionals should know that simply following building codes may not be enough to shield them from liability in a climate-related lawsuit. When evaluating negligence, courts consider what design professionals knew or should have known about climate-related or weather-related risks on their projects at the time their services were provided. This stance turns traditional assumptions on their head as the concept of “non-stationarity”—where historical weather patterns can no longer predict future events—gains traction in legal circles. Simply adhering to existing standards may not suffice to avoid liability if those standards do not account for foreseeable climate impacts.
Bridging the gap
Transforming climate science into building science isn't straightforward. There is no single reference point, and it requires connecting the dots between local climate projections and practical design decisions. Using climate modeling tools that can assess the vulnerability of project sites over the coming decades can be invaluable. Equally important is using professional judgment to recommend and implement resilience measures. Providing clients with the necessary information to make informed decisions about their investments in resilience is half the battle and can be particularly persuasive due diligence in a legal context.
Proactive design practices
Adopting a proactive approach to design involves staying informed through reliable sources like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, reporting from the US Global Change Research Program, and climate modeling tools. Engaging clients in early discussions about climate risks and documenting these conversations may help protect against future claims of negligence and professional liability. Leading these discussions not only helps design professionals mitigate liability, but also positions them as forward-thinking professionals committed to resilient communities.
Conclusion
Design professionals can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of climate change. The time has come for integrating future climate conditions into design practices to safeguard projects and communities against escalating risks. Moving beyond standard practices and embracing a changing standard of care that anticipates and mitigates the impacts of climate change should be top of mind for design firms. Indeed, the future of the built environment and the people it houses depends on design professionals being proactive in this critical area because if it’s not you thinking and acting on future climate risks, then who?
Additional resources
Our in-depth report, Navigating the climate change challenge: An evolving standard of care for design firms, delves into the emergent need for changes in design practices, the evolving industry standard of care, legal precedents shaping liability exposures in the climate change context, and strategies for design firms to navigate a path forward. Download a copy below.