Retrofit for Heritage Buildings #2

Planning lessons from retrofit and refurbishment case studies

Building on our previous blog ‘Retrofit for Heritage Buildings’, we have been reflecting on further lessons learned from case studies on past refurbishment and retrofit projects. The retrofit process can be complex and competing, particularly where projects are also trying to achieve strong sustainability credentials with emerging technologies. In this post, we are sharing lessons learned with the Delivery Associates Network and grant recipients as a way for us to all upskill on an increasingly important sector. 

This blog presents key takeaways from two case studies on retrofit and refurbishment projects in which we were involved throughout the planning process. We focus particularly on how to maximise the benefits of a refurbishment and retrofit project. 

Pall Mall Court – an example of securing stakeholder buy-in from the earlier stages of the process

Pall Mall Court is a Grade II listed commercial building in Manchester City Centre. The building was constructed in 1969 and was originally designed for a single occupier.  It was listed for its unusual and distinctive architecture, notably the oriel window facade, albeit there is limited interest in the materiality or construction technique.

In this case, the areas of special interest created challenges to the viable future of the building. The original single occupation had resulted in a compromised lobby and welcome space. Moreover, the unusual facade was very leaky, severely compromising occupier experience and carbon targets. Careful and complete intervention was required in these areas to ensure the building had a viable future, and could continue to operate economically as well as contribute to the historic character of the CBD.  It was also important for the developer that the building’s future was as sustainable as possible. 

The intervention required careful balancing of the different functions and roles the building needed to play to adapt it for future use. To meet the sustainability targets, the proposals primarily included the complete replacement of the facade, internal refurbishment, and the introduction of activation at ground floor level as part of an improved arrival experience. 

The complete replacement of the façade itself was a radical move for a heritage building.  A detailed presentation of the planning and listed building considerations was required to articulate the material considerations, as well as regular discussions with the stakeholders to mitigate the risk of objections. This included pulling together evidence that the facade could be replaced on a like-for-like basis to minimise heritage harm, as well as demonstrating the public benefits of strong sustainability credentials (including a 69% energy saving and an estimated 78% operational carbon saving through a long-term sustainability strategy). 

The key activity in achieving consensus involved frontloading the application to work with the local planning authority. Getting statutory and non-statutory consultees to agree on the information and evidence requirements for each stage of the process was key to ensure a fully informed decision-making process for all parties.  In this project, seeking stakeholder consensus at an early stage, by demonstrating the holistic set of considerations to re-using the building, was essential for progression of the project.

West Village – an example of assessing retrofit solutions holistically and flexibly

West Village is another example of an existing building that had ambitious targets for achieving Net Zero credentials, whilst needing a significant intervention to achieve this. The proposals included refurbishment of the existing office building and a new-build extension to functionally connect two office buildings together.  Once completed, West Village will be one of Leeds’ first buildings that is net zero carbon in operation and the extension will be net zero embodied carbon. 

The developer’s specialist project team worked collaboratively to design a scheme that successfully balanced the cost and viability considerations against achieving sustainability credentials.  This is a particular consideration for retrofit projects, as the end-use values are often less than for new-build products.  The team debated the best methods for measuring success and how appropriate BREEAM is compared to other measures of sustainability (e.g., NABERS, Net Zero Carbon, etc).  This allowed the developer to consider multiple options for achieving sustainable retrofit. Advancing the package of interventions in the building ultimately allowed them to deliver a viable net zero carbon development.  This included façade improvements, retrofitting ventilation systems, green walls, blue-green roof technology, efficient management of the building and state of the art amenities to encourage active travel.

Throughout the design process, the planning considerations were holistically weighed against a detailed understanding of the technologies and methods available to achieve net zero carbon. This allowed the justification of proposals in relation to planning policy that required the achievement of a specific BREEAM rating.  The local planning authority was fully involved in the process of upskilling the whole team to identify the most appropriate method of assessing the building’s sustainability credentials.  In the end, the planning application proved that the development was achieving a betterment of the BREEAM rating by delivering a net zero carbon building that adopted a holistic approach to development and operation that aligned with BREEAM’s principles. 

This case study exemplifies the need for all stakeholders to work holistically, transparently and flexibly when adopting innovative approaches to sustainable development as existing tools and methods are not always relevant.  

Key Takeaways

The case studies presented in this article showcase two key lessons to keep in mind during retrofit and refurbishment planning processes:

As we all learn how to deliver highly sustainable and net zero carbon buildings, for both new build and retrofit (although we focus on the latter here), it is essential that all stakeholders consider how best to work together holistically, with compromise, flexibility, and fundamentally with honesty and transparency, as we all work towards the net zero carbon goal.

Retrofitting existing buildings inevitably demands a balance between the new and the old, and sometimes the head and the heart.  This means there can be tensions arising from alterations to certain prominent aspects of the building (such as the façade), or emotional connections to the building or previous use. There can also be thought-provoking debates around the viability of new, challenging retrofitting technologies in buildings that were not originally designed to accommodate these, inevitably requiring more creative and often costly solutions.  Tensions may arise and will need to be carefully navigated, to ensure that all stakeholders are brought along the journey and that the end result is a building that has a new lease of life that best balances the existing challenges.

It is in everyone’s interest to navigate this period of change with designing and delivering sustainable retrofit development – in this blog we hope we have shared valuable knowledge and lessons learned to help everyone achieve the sustainability targets as early as possible.

Ellen has over 10 years’ experience working in regional towns and cities providing strategic real estate advice on regeneration projects. As a town planning consultant by background she helps clients navigate and overcome challenges to their projects to secure deliverable strategies, regeneration frameworks and planning consents for major and complex projects.

Thomas leads Arup’s Heritage & Conservation Architecture team. He has delivered design and conservation projects for some of the country’s finest historic buildings and holds heritage advisory roles for a number of high-profile institutions.

With over eight years of experience as a chartered town planner, Josh provides project management and planning consultancy services. Josh works with clients across various industries, such as strategic land, regeneration, residential, public sector, and commercial development, to deliver positive results on complex projects.

If you have any questions on this topic, or would like support, please contact your Delivery Associate, or email DeliveryAssociatesNetwork@Arup.com