Achieving decarbonisation through retrofit

University of the West of England
We have worked with the University of the West of England (UWE) on a number of assets, as part of their decarbonisation strategy across their entire estate. One building which required significant retrofitting in order to bring its efficiency up to the required standard was the Glenside Hub. The previous facilities were outdated, underused and not fit for purpose. Our architecture and building consultancy teams worked together, using extensive surveys and a comprehensive 3D Scan to BIM to define which interventions would be most beneficial to the university.

WDH
We are working with WDH to shift reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, to ensure that their residents are provided with comfortable, affordable homes well into the future. One way we have addressed this issue is through retrofitting existing housing schemes to improve the energy efficiency, whilst maintaining economically viable neighbourhoods. We have improved the efficiency of these homes, by retrofitting a range of renewable energy solutions including photovoltaics and air source heat pumps.

Chatwin Building, 81 Colmore Row

Located in the heart of the Colmore Business District, the refurbishment and extension of the Grade II listed building addresses the recent changes in ways of working, whilst sensitively preserving its historic attributes. A key aspect of the project involved integrating old with new into a cohesive design, that retained and preserved the architecturally significant features of the existing building. By combining our architecture, building consultancy and interior design services we crafted a design that gives the building a new lease of life.

Joseph Priestley Building
Part of the University of Huddersfield’s decarbonisation strategy for their estate, this sustainable refurbishment is an outstanding demonstration of the retrofit of an inefficient university building to increase energy efficiency. What was once an inefficiently planned and tired building, is now a vibrant, fully accessible building, flooded with natural daylight. We sensitively planned and phased the works, to allow parts of the building to remain open - minimising disruption to key research and administration facilities.

Keynsham Riverside View
Bath and North East Somerset council assessed the viability of keeping their outdated council offices within their estate and decided the better option was to retrofit them to create low cost housing. We retained almost all of the existing concrete structure and masonry walls during the refurbishment and combining thermal upgrades to the building envelope with all electric low carbon heating has ensured that this is a very sustainable development.

William Hulme Sixth Form
We refurbished this Grade II listed building to create a dedicated new sixth form centre, south of Manchester's city centre. During the retrofit we reduced energy usage by uncovering original window heads, bringing more natural light into the classrooms. It was important that we remained sensitive to the original features of the building throughout the project, to preserve and enhance its historic character.

Keynsham Riverside Leisure Centre
In assessing their entire estate, Bath and North East Somerset council found that the energy efficiency of their leisure centre was insufficient. We were initially appointed to undertake feasibility studies for demolishing the entire building to construct a new leisure centre. Our studies showed that by refurbishing and extending the buildings, it would achieve better value for the council and significantly reduce embodied carbon by reusing the existing reinforced concrete frame and masonry walls.