Checking the heat resilience of real-estate portfolios

Climate change has increased the significance of heat-resilient real estate. In the context of an innovation project, our interdisciplinary team conferred with prospective clients to establish a basis for the development of web-based tool that could be used to analyze the heat resilience of real-estate portfolios and to identify those areas where there is a need for action.

“The price of real estate that is not heat-resilient is in decline.”

Rising temperatures in recent years have led to a decline in labour productivity and an increased mortality rate. The decline in labour productivity in the canton of Zurich alone has led to annual losses of around CHF 150 million. According to a forecast issued by the canton of Zurich, these annual losses are expected to increase by 60 to 150 percent by 2050.

Hitzeresilienz 1

Web-based tool for a quick analysis of heat resilience

We humans spend most of our time in buildings, living, working, resting, etc. This makes it much more important to design these buildings for heat resilience. The value of real estate that is not heat-resilient is in decline. That being said, buildings can differ significantly in terms of their heat resilience. That’s why it’s important to know which of them is sufficiently resilient and which is in need of intervention.

“Our design sprints enable us to take full account of our clients’ needs.”

Our “Heat Resilience Quick Check” web application allows us to provide portfolio managers with a quick overview of the heat resilience of their portfolios. To design the application, we first conferred with prospective clients to learn more about their opinions, expectations, and needs. We then developed the concept for the web application in a design sprint (more information at designsprint.ebp.ch). This approach involves establishing a shared definition of the goal at an early stage and then developing a prototype, effectively ensuring a heightened awareness of the goal and the most important issues throughout the process. The final stage involved subjecting the product to extensive functionality testing.

Hitzeresilienz 2

Development of specific strategies and measures

While an initial analysis will reveal the critical areas within a given portfolio, it can also be very helpful to learn what can be done to make an entire portfolio more heat-resilient. We accomplish this via targeted consulting that includes developing a strategy at the portfolio level and identifying measures to be taken at the level of individual buildings. This enables us to respond more specifically to the needs of our clients, first with a quick initial analysis using our web application (Version: Basic) and then with customized consulting (Version: Pro).

Hitzeresilienz 3

Theme related projects

Project team

AIC
Melanie Aichinger
melanie.aichinger@ebp.ch

RRA
Rahel Renggli
rahel.renggli@ebp.ch

DEH
Debora Heitz
debora.heitz@ebp.ch

NEV
Valentina Nesa
valentina.nesa@ebp.ch