Industrial Buildings and Climate Change: Designing for New Risks

Designing industrial buildings for climate change is essential if they are to remain efficient and resilient under increasingly demanding conditions. Scientific data and forecasts have raised warnings that must be considered in order to achieve resilient and sustainable construction that is also responsible.

At VALL, we know how to design facilities prepared for emerging risks. Our committed team works every day to provide safe solutions adapted to today's reality and possible future events, under a rigorous and exacting quality policy.

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The following risks stand out because of their probability, significance and potential for damage:

• Rising global ambient temperatures and more frequent, extreme heatwaves. Official data show significant temperature anomalies. The planet has entered a critical phase of extreme heat after eleven years of progressively rising average annual temperatures.
• More frequent droughts and severe wildfires that are harder to extinguish. Spain, France, Canada and Australia are among the countries facing devastating fifth- and sixth-generation megafires, which can in turn create dangerous climate feedback loops.
• More frequent and intense torrential rainfall, with a greater risk of serious flash flooding. Recent examples include the Valencia DANA in Spain, the 2024 floods in Rio do Sul, Brazil, and the 2025 floods in Sumatra, Texas Hill Country and Morocco, which caused hundreds of deaths and extensive destruction.
• Greater soil erosion and a higher likelihood of serious, sudden landslides. Scientists warn that more than two billion people, together with an undetermined number of buildings, are vulnerable to landslides and subsidence caused by a combination of prolonged drought, torrential rain and vegetation loss.
• More frequent, violent and damaging windstorms, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms and cloudbursts. Climate change is making wind more dangerous, increasing the risk to industrial buildings and other structures through roof damage, falling trees, windborne debris and higher levels of suspended dust that can reduce natural light.

These are some of the most important considerations when designing prefabricated industrial buildings for the growing risks of today and the future.

The design phase includes:

• Rigorous wind and load calculations. VALL industrial buildings comply with the demanding EU standards EN 1090 and EN 13782 and are designed in accordance with structural Eurocodes.
• Foundation calculations suited to the site and intended use.
• Assessment of anchoring solutions to reduce the risk of undermining during floods and overturning under severe wind loads.
• Selection of flexible, resistant structures that provide greater resilience when the ground moves.

This is important in order to:

• Protect workplace wellbeing and health, while maintaining productivity and performance, reducing human error and improving accident prevention.
• Support the preservation of machinery and goods.
• Reduce pollution and energy consumption, helping to lower the company's carbon footprint and maintain a responsible industrial profile.

When designing industrial buildings with excellent energy efficiency, the project team considers:

• The type and weight of the cladding, together with the most appropriate roof for the industrial building.
• The necessary insulation measures.
• Whether solutions such as TWS roofs should be included.

The assessment carried out before design considers the relevant risks and the most effective solutions. These may include accessories such as oversized gutters and drainage systems, helping to prevent loading bays from flooding during torrential rainfall.

In the current climate, it is essential to design industrial buildings with sustainability and environmental impact in mind. This helps avoid contributing to the accelerating feedback loops associated with climate change.

• Translucent solutions allow more natural light to enter and can reduce energy consumption for lighting.
• Opaque solutions reduce solar radiation in hot climates and may lower the energy required to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.

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Relevant measures include:

• Appropriate calculation of structural loads.
• Selection of impact-resistant materials to protect cladding and roofs, including solutions such as sandwich panels.
• Use of materials and anchors with high mechanical resistance that can withstand suction forces without deforming or failing.
• Study of the most appropriate roof geometry.

The design should consider aspects such as:

• Insulation and thermal-efficiency solutions that reduce the risk of extreme heat from a nearby fire affecting people, machinery, raw materials, manufactured products, vehicles or stored substances.
• Fire-resistant steel structures and other fire-retardant materials.
• Fire prevention, resilience and suppression solutions suited to the use and location of the building.

https://climate.ec.europa.eu/climate-change/consequences-climate-change_en https://wmo.int/es/news/media-centre/el-clima-del-planeta-esta-cada-vez-mas-descompensado https://news.un.org/es/story/2026/05/1541496 https://www.expansion.com/economia/financial-times/2026/07/29/6a6a01bd468aeb400a8b4578.html https://unfccc.int/fr/node/62120 https://www.rrhhdigital.com/secciones/actualidad/799375/como-influye-el-confort-termico-en-la-productividad-de-tu-equipo/ https://revistas.unav.edu/index.php/revista-de-edificacion/article/view/34948 Climate-proofing guide for projects under €10 million (PDF)