The focus of the latest Birmingham Best Practice Club (BBPC) event, held on 2 July, was Retrofit and asked the question: Good as New?

Retrofit might feel like a second rate option, but the results can be as awe inspiring as any new build project if it is approached in the right way. It is an incontrovertible fact that retrofit is the key to achieving a low carbon built environment. The majority of the buildings which exist today will still exist in 2050. For the UK to meet its targets and obligations on carbon emissions this building stock will have to be refurbished and made much more efficient.

The guest speaker, Matthew Rhodes Managing Director of Encraft, explained how this emerging growth sector is set to continue for the next thirty years. His presentation took a wide ranging look at the challenges posed by retrofit, examined the drivers for change, the commercial case, the practical issues involved and the technical and material solutions appropriate to different building types. Matthew also focused on solutions to existing commercial, retail, education and residential properties.

The event was supported by Thomas Vale and sponsored by EH Smith.

This workshop was followed up on the theme for the BBPC meeting on 2 July on ‘Retrofit – as good as new’ with presentations from Matthew Rhodes of Encraft, specialists in low carbon buildings, at both events. Event sponsors G F Tomlinson Birmingham Ltd delivered case studies and shared experiences. RegenWM gave a presentation on good practice sources.

The Climate Change Act (2008) requires that by 2050, the UK’s annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions should be reduced by 80% compared to 1990 levels. Home energy use is responsible for over a quarter of UK CO2 emissions which contribute to climate change. It has been estimated that about 24 million homes, that either exist now or are built before 2016, will still exist in 2050. This means that on average, some 600,000 homes will need to be refurbished to a high degree of thermal performance each year to reach the 80% target. (Source: Energy Savings Trust).

This presents both challenges and opportunities for the construction industry. As a follow-up to the Birmingham Best Practice Club’s breakfast meeting ‘Retrofit: as good as new’, this workshop explored the experiences of exemplar schemes.

The focus of the workshop was the retrofit of a house on the Egghill Estate in Northfield, Birmingham. G F Tomlinson received a grant of £150k through the Technology Advisory Board to fit out a post-war Wates-style house with modern alternative energy solutions for the government to gauge on efficacy over the next two years. There will also be other demonstrator examples.

Jerry Tseng of Pick Everard, G F Tomlinson’s Consultants, advised on low energy solutions and ran the workshop and Professor Mark Rowley of Loughborough University provided an independent assessment for submission to the government.

Workshop presentations can be downloaded here

For further information, or to join the Birmingham Best Practice Club please contact Noel Street -  click here