ADAPTABILITY OF BUILDINGS TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENSURING COMFORT UNDER SUMMER CONDITIONS

The impact of climate changes occur not only on environmental systems but also on social systems and life quality. Thus, to eliminate costs associated with adverse effects onclimate change at global and European level, policies are developing setting aim to cease causes through mitigation and reduce vulnerability by an increase in the capacity of adaptation to new challenges. Within this policies, an important role is held by the building sector given that actions such as overheating spaces where people live and conduct different activities may have negative consequences on comfort and human health. Passive measures that contribute to increased adaptability of buildings target thermal massiveness, optimized ventilation, passive cooling systems, adoption of green surfaces, and not least, alter human behavior. This paper presents a case study on two single-family houses with similar geometric and energetic characteristics but different in terms of thermal massiveness. The analysis based on the principles of adaptive comfort concept highlights that thermal massiveness contributes to increased adaptability of buildings to climate change.