Australia is getting hotter. Climate change is driving more frequent and prolonged extreme heatwaves and our homes are struggling to keep up. Alarmingly, many Australian houses – especially older ones – weren’t designed for these harsh conditions.

During a heatwave, large parts of the country’s interior can soar above 40°C. That’s not only uncomfortable but also dangerous, as extreme heat puts residents at serious health risk.

Heatwaves have caused more deaths in Australia than any natural disaster combined.

That’s where smart materials come in. They can significantly change some of their properties in a controlled manner in response to external stimuli, such as temperature. And they are being incorporated into materials such as bricks and roof cladding to make homes more resistant to heat fluctuations.

The default fix? Turn on the air conditioner. But cooling our homes with machines comes at a cost. Our growing reliance on air conditioning creates a dangerous feedback loop: more heat leads to more energy use, which ultimately drives up carbon dioxide emissions if no solar power is available.

You might be surprised to learn that buildings are responsible for

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