Sweltering in homes not built for heat

A construction site on a new housing block in front of period housing in London. — Mary Turner/The New York Times

ON a recent morning during another week of high temperatures, a sweltering heat was building up on London’s streets. But a cool breeze wafted through Caz Facey’s three-bedroom apartment.

There was no air-conditioning, or even a fan. Instead, an awning over the living room balcony and a Virginia creeper climbing over the kitchen window provided shade, while the apartment’s layout had been revamped to create a cross draft, helping make a comfortable indoor climate even as millions of other homes were baking in a British heat wave, with temperatures hitting 33°C, in some areas.