Built Asset Management Climate Change Adaptation Model

Climate change continues to pose major challenges to those responsible for the management of built assets. Whilst mitigation is largely being driven by legislation and corporate social responsibility, adaptation has to compete alongside general built asset management needs. As such, adaptations to address longer-term building performance issues (such as those posed by climate change) rarely get prioritised above more immediate, short-term needs. However, failure to adapt a built asset to climate change could result in significant premature obsolescence if work is not programmed in a timely fashion. This paper will present the results of a case study of climate change adaptation of UK social housing. The project reports the results of an in-depth participatory action research project with a London based social landlord to develop and test a 6 stage climate change adaptation framework and risk based model as part of its built asset management strategy. The project developed metrics to analyse the performance of the housing stock against climate change scenarios for current time and 2050. The project also examined the potential (options appraisals and cost/benefit analyses) for a range of adaptation solutions to close the performance gap and developed performance thresholds to prioritise adaptations into long term built asset management plans. These plans were developed against a range of futures scenarios through interviews and workshops with senior decision making stakeholders within the social landlord’s organisation. This paper will present the practical results from this study along with a new theoretical model that integrates resilience theory, risk framing and performance management into built asset management (maintenance and refurbishment) planning. The paper will conclude with a 10 step asset management framework that was developed as an aide memoir to guide other social landlords through the climate change adaptation planning process.