A Holistic and Systematic Approach to Enabling Climate-Resilient Retrofits in Residential Buildings

Many buildings were designed using building codes that assumed stable climate conditions over their service life. Today, rising greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, rendering those assumptions increasingly outdated. Regions previously unaffected by certain hazards may now be facing new risks, increasing pressure on homeowners to undertake unexpected repairs or invest in climate-adapted upgrades; a trend which is expected to grow. Compounding hazards, such as extreme heat, wildfires and wildfire smoke make choosing effective adaptation retrofits complex and increase the risk of maladaptation. This is further intensified by the need to meet other objectives such as emission reductions, affordability goals or a combination of goals. As more groups pursue resilience upgrades, clear, systematic and evidence-based guidance is needed to support sound decision-making, especially since most buildings will undergo only a single major retrofit in their lifetime. This paper proposes a new framework that takes a holistic approach to identifying adaptation retrofits with the aim of minimizing unintended consequences under both single- and multi-hazard scenarios. It outlines the key steps, tools, and resources from hazard identification to implementation and highlights critical research gaps. The framework, along with identified gaps, can guide future research needed for sustainable, low-risk climate adaptation.