Feature
How to foster effective retrofit strategies in our built environment By Emily Smith, COO, Argyll, and Sarah Halpin, Head of Sustainable Solutions, Ramboll
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ith 25% of UK emissions directly attributable to the built environment, it is essential that delivering on sustainability targets remains at the forefront of the built environment agenda. The role of UK office stock in contributing to these emissions cannot be ignored, particularly with 87% of this stock rated at an EPC rating of 'C' or lower according to Savills research. Clearly, office providers and landlords need to double down on their efforts to meet rapidly approaching sustainability targets. Amid the rush to achieve net zero emissions, newer construction projects are often seen as a sure-fire way to bring EPC ratings down, but existing and heritage buildings demand similar attention and can offer untapped potential for contributing to a sustainable office stock through effective retrofit strategies. Solely concentrating on new developments adhering to sustainable standards will not be sufficient for the transition to net zero and should not be regarded as a panacea to sustainability issues. In fact, approximately 35% of the lifetime carbon emissions from a typical office development has already been released prior to official opening, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The tendency to laud new builds for their sustainable offering comes further into question when considering that around 80% of the buildings we anticipate will exist in 2050 are already standing. So, why are we continuing to neglect retrofitting efforts?
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Retrofitting should take centre stage as a crucial solution, not only for revitalising existing office buildings and adapting to the evolving needs of the modern workforce, but also for spearheading sustainability efforts. Argyll, for example, has undertaken an ambitious refurbishment project across its office building portfolio, to upgrade a number of its heritage buildings in line with the needs of the modern workforce, whilst effectively driving down EPC ratings and capping emissions at every opportunity. Only by adopting a data-led approach, addressing existing policy gaps hindering retrofit efforts, and recognising the core value of existing and heritage buildings can we shift focus from new builds being deemed the only sustainable solution and towards retrofitting our existing stock. Whilst heritage buildings face a unique set of challenges in their retrofit ambitions,
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due to the legislation and protections in place to preserve historic aspects, this does not undermine their role in decarbonising efforts – which must be considered in tandem with existing stock to move the dial on UK retrofit. The data revolution Businesses are rapidly embracing a data-driven approach, with continuously evolving technologies and tools at the centre of this. For retrofitting efforts, the importance of data for gathering invaluable insights across a broad spectrum of activities is palpable, from the construction materials and their transportation through to the overarching evaluation of design considerations. Such data-driven insights fuel the optimisation of retrofitting strategies. One such technology designed to
