Turning a radio transmitter station into a sustainable new school for Rugby involved vastly improving the historic fabric of the building while designing new teaching blocks to a high thermal performance to ensure top marks for low energy use. Andy Pearson reports
Tag: retrofitting
Burrell Collection retrofit: a glazing success
The Grade A-listed Burrell Collection houses important works of art, but poor fabric performance has made the museum unsustainable. Andy Pearson explains how the building’s glazed façade was restored to make the gallery fit for a low carbon future
Fresh start: the transformation of Bow Street police station into a luxury hotel
Turning a Grade II-listed Victorian police station and magistrates’ court into a luxury London hotel required innovative services design, as Andy Pearson explains
Saving energy through retrofits of heritage properties in Myanmar
The affordable retrofit of 25 historic buildings in Myanmar could form the template for making millions of existing buildings across Asia climate resilient, says Doh Eain’s Beverley Salmon
Case study: the challenge of reusing central plant at the £60m retrofit of 1 Finsbury Avenue
Arup reused as much MEP plant as possible when transforming a 1980s City office into a stripped-back space aimed at London’s dynamic tech sector. Andy Pearson looks at how embodied energy use at 1 Finsbury Avenue was minimised in a major £60m retrofit
Renewing rented homes
The UK lacks a coordinated UK retrofit strategy, while the consultation for improving private rented homes contains some flaws, says Julie Godefroy
Planning sticking points
More environmental rigour is needed to support the government’s rhetoric on deregulating planning while ensuring standards, says Julie Godefroy
The Green Homes Grant must not be a wasted opportunity
If the government’s £5bn Green Homes Grant is to be successful, lessons must be learnt from the Green Deal, say Enhabit’s Dr Sarah Price and Akta Raja
Box office hit: Why Mason Bros is CIBSE’s 2020 International Project of the Year
Mason Bros is an exemplary retrofit, in which new offices have been carved out of the shell of a 1920s warehouse. Andy Pearson finds out how the building in Auckland, New Zealand, exploits passive design and digital technology to minimise building energy use before, and during, occupation