Brendan O'Connor How Irish homes survive the heat
Aug 16, 2025
Róisín Murphy, an architect, broadcaster, and lecturer, dives into innovative ways to tackle heat in Irish homes. She explains how traditional housing struggles with rising temperatures and the benefits of retrofitting. The discussion moves to sustainable solutions like green roofs and improving urban planning to combat heat islands. Róisín advocates for passive cooling techniques over air conditioning, emphasizing design strategies that balance comfort and environmental impact while navigating the challenges posed by extreme temperatures.
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Historic Houses Prioritised Warmth
- Older Irish homes were built to retain heat and keep out rain, using materials like stone, concrete blocks and brick.
- Those historic choices make them poorly adapted to increasing summer heat without retrofit measures.
Urban Heat Islands Explained
- Urban heat islands form where dark materials and dense buildings absorb heat and release it at night.
- Cities that adopted green roofs and walls have avoided the same temperature rises seen in London and Paris.
Materials Matter For Local Heat
- Surface materials like black tarmac amplify local heat regardless of building density.
- Tackling material choices and adding green spaces reduces future urban overheating.