Design Solution · Sustainability
Design Solution · Dream about it
Retaining and reusing fabric to keep refurbishment carbon low.
Existing structure and materials are retained and reused where possible during refurbishment, keeping upfront carbon low (281 kgCO2/m2 GIA). Reuse avoids the carbon and cost of demolition and new materials while extending asset life.
Retaining structure and reusing existing materials during a refurbishment is the highest-value embodied-carbon intervention available, because demolition and new construction are the most carbon-intensive phases of a building's life and reuse avoids both. A reported upfront carbon figure of 281 kgCO2/m2 GIA is meaningfully lower than typical new-build commercial figures (often 500-800 kgCO2/m2), suggesting genuine carbon benefit if the number is robustly calculated. The record does not specify the methodology, system boundary, or third-party verification behind the figure, so it cannot be compared directly to other projects without knowing whether it covers structure only, full shell-and-core, or fit-out, and whether it follows RICS WLCA or another convention. The honest specifier question is whether the structural condition survey supports the reuse strategy without stealth remediation costs that erode the carbon saving, and whether the retained elements are compatible with new services, accessibility and fire-safety requirements without major invasive modification.
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