Karachi’s urban context is characterised by dense and narrow streets, frequent and long power outages, limited ventilation, and a general inability to afford air-conditioning, which often results in energy theft. In such environments, making green building codes mandatory is a required shift from governing and development bodies. Temperatures are rising every year, as is inflation, making thermal comfort unaffordable for lower as well as middle-income groups.

Regulations can be tailored to development size, with support mechanisms for enforcement, legal implications, and economic benefits of each law. Right now, most green ratings, such as LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Desigh] or EDGE [Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies], are only relevant for high-end projects, therefore irrelevant for low- and middle-income developments.

Karachi’s current bylaws require that rooms in a building or house have a minimum percentage of openings or windows; for example, in a living room the opening size should be 10 per cent of the area of the room; this changes to 7.5pc for other rooms and 15pc for the kitchen.

All this looks impressive on paper, but that does not guarantee human comfort. These regulations were written decades ago, focusing on hygiene, and are not practical for today’s extreme heat.

The city’s building codes must take into........

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