Retrofit Stories : reduce / re-use / recycle
Quite often re-use and retrofit isn’t the easiest option, and a shift in thinking and appreciation is required from the contractor and the client, as well as the architect. It means looking at what you already have in more detail, imagining how it can be retained and re-used or re-purposed, and it means learning to value and appreciate the ‘imperfect’.
We have made a few short stories about the different types of approach to re-use and retrofit that we have taken, depending on the buildings and the client’s requirements. These include two early 20th century warehouses in Clerkenwell, a 1950s office in Fitzrovia, and a 1970s office in Northampton.
We are passionate about creatively re-using, re-purposing, and retrofitting existing commercial buildings. We believe that we must place higher value on our existing building stock and work hard to identify creative and ambitious ways to optimise and improve buildings instead of always demolishing and re-building.
We help our clients meet their net zero carbon goals while reducing their energy costs and making their spaces healthier, more attractive, and more comfortable. Not only does this approach make huge savings in terms of operational and embodied carbon, but the result is often a more interesting building with a richer character and a stronger identity.
We hope you enjoy them. A few more stories will follow soon….
Office for CABE, Northampton
The story of how we applied a strict approach of reduce, re-use, and re-cycle to a low-energy fabric-first retrofit of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers' head office in Northampton; part of their drive to become a net zero carbon organisation by 2025.
10 - 11 Clerkenwell Green, London
The story of the refurbishment and extension of a 13,000 sqft office to provide an additional 6,500 sqft of space while beautifully restoring the original buildings.
27 - 29 Whitfield Street, London
The story of how we refurbished and extended a 1950s office building and completely transformed the brick facade.
