RetroFirst: Prioritizing Building Reuse to Combat the Climate Crisis
Advocating for adaptive reuse and retrofitting as vital actions for carbon reduction and sustainable urban futures.
RetroFirst: Reuse Over Demolition for a Climate-Resilient Future
The climate emergency demands urgent, transformative action across all sectors, especially the building and construction industry. The RetroFirst campaign, launched by the Architects’ Journal, asserts that adapting and retrofitting existing buildings, rather than demolishing and rebuilding, offers the most immediate and powerful strategy for rapid decarbonization. As urban areas grow and global net-zero targets loom, reassessing our approach to the built environment is not just an environmental necessity, but an economic and cultural imperative.
The Climate Emergency and the Built Environment
Buildings and construction account for approximately 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions globally.
Demolition, new construction, and excavation collectively produce more than 60% of total waste in countries like the UK.
Every year in the UK alone, around 50,000 buildings are demolished, with vast resources and energy spent on new construction.
- Whole-life carbon impacts: By the completion of a new office building, up to 35% of its lifelong carbon will have already been emitted. For a new residential block, this jumps to over 50%.
- Longevity of Existing Stock: An estimated 80% of buildings expected to exist in 2050 are already standing today, highlighting the urgency of rethinking refurbishment and modernization strategies.
RetroFirst: The Campaign’s Origins and Purpose
Launched in 2019, the RetroFirst campaign was spearheaded by the Architects’ Journal in response to mounting evidence that the “greenest building is the one that already exists.” RetroFirst advocates for central and local government leadership in promoting building reuse and high-quality refurbishment ahead of demolition and new construction. The campaign arose from three core recognitions:
- Decarbonization cannot be achieved without addressing embodied carbon.
- Adaptive reuse of buildings preserves both embodied carbon and culture.
- Demolition wastes irreplaceable materials and historical value, exacerbating the climate problem.
RetroFirst’s Three Key Demands
- Cut VAT on Refurbishment: Reduce the Value Added Tax on building upgrades, repairs, and maintenance from 20% to 5% or below to make retrofit economically attractive.
- Policy Change for Reuse: Amend policies to mandate and incentivize the reuse of existing buildings to the highest standards.
- Retrofit-First in Public Projects: Insist that all publicly funded construction projects prioritize retrofit and refurbishment solutions before considering demolition or new-build alternatives.
Historic Roots of Building Reuse
Building reuse has deep roots in global history. For centuries, cultures have adapted and transformed existing structures in line with resource stewardship and environmental wisdom:
- Roman amphitheaters were repurposed into fortifications and later into housing during different periods.
- Indigenous vernacular architecture—such as wood structures in Japan and earth structures in Mali—relies on centuries-old traditions of transformation, preservation, and reuse.
With the industrial revolution’s rise and the illusion of endless resources, modern practices shifted toward large-scale demolition and new construction. Today, facing ecological limits, there is a paradigm shift back to reuse, reinvention, and repurposing as key sustainability strategies.
Embodied Carbon: Why Demolition is a Climate Disaster
What others are reading
Embodied carbon refers to all carbon emissions generated during the extraction, processing, transportation, and assembly of building materials, as well as construction itself. Demolishing a building destroys the carbon already invested in those materials and demands new emissions for their replacement.
- Retrofitting can save 30-50% of the costs and up to 75% of the carbon compared to building new structures of similar type and scale.
- When a building is demolished, the embodied history, cultural connections, and social value are lost, not simply the bricks and mortar.
Key Insight: The period between 2020 and 2030 is critical. New emissions from demolition and new build will accelerate climate change during this vital window unless retrofit becomes the default choice.
The Multiple Benefits of Retrofitting and Adaptive Reuse
Adopting a retrofit-first approach creates wide-ranging advantages that extend far beyond carbon emission reductions. These include:
- Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Retrofitting maintains historical character and supports community continuity.
- Resource Efficiency: Minimizes extraction of new materials and reduces landfill waste.
- Societal Resilience: Well-adapted old buildings foster social cohesion and accommodate new uses over time.
- Lower Operational Carbon: Modern upgrades, such as improved insulation and renewable energy integration, cut operational energy use dramatically.
- Economic Stimulus: Revitalizing existing structures can spur local economies, create jobs, and reduce urban blight.
Comparing Retrofit and New Build: Embodied and Operational Carbon
| Parameter | Retrofit Existing Building | Demolish and Build New |
|---|---|---|
| Embodied Carbon Impact | 50-75% less than new construction | Significant new emissions for materials and construction |
| Operational Energy Savings | High (with deep energy retrofit) | Variable; high if built to modern standard, but at higher embodied cost |
| Cultural and Community Value | Preserved and enhanced | Often diminished or erased |
| Total Lifetime Cost | 30-50% lower | Higher (when considering full lifecycle) |
| Waste Generation | Much lower | Very high due to demolition debris |
Policy Barriers: Why Aren’t We Retrofitting More?
Despite its clear benefits, retrofitting is not yet the standard approach, especially in the UK and similar economies. Several barriers impede the shift to reuse:
- Tax Disincentives: High VAT (20%) is applied to refurbishments, repairs, and maintenance, while new builds can be exempt.
- Planning Permission Hurdles: Complex and restrictive policies often favour demolition and new construction over adaptive reuse.
- Risk-Averse Mindsets: Developers and owners often default to demolition due to perceived unknowns in refurbishing older stock.
- Lack of Awareness: Insufficient understanding of whole-life carbon impacts, and the long-term cost savings of retrofit projects.
The RetroFirst campaign challenges policymakers to confront these barriers head-on. Growing calls from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and leading industry bodies emphasize making retrofitting the default pathway for all public and privately funded projects.
Case Studies: Adaptive Reuse in Practice
Various high-profile projects have demonstrated the potential and success of the retrofitting approach.
- London South Bank University: A major refurbishment project used adaptive reuse to transform outdated structures, achieving cutbacks in embodied carbon and showcasing viable alternatives to new-build campuses.
- Brain Yard: Adaptive reuse here utilized advanced carbon assessment tools, saving approximately one-third of embodied carbon compared to an equivalent new build, while reaching or exceeding zero-carbon benchmarks.
Using tools like the EOC ECO2 carbon assessment, project teams can scientifically compare retrofit and new build scenarios, further justifying re-use by hard data rather than just philosophy.
The Business Case for Retrofit
Retrofitting isn’t just an environmental imperative—it’s rapidly becoming a robust business strategy:
- Cost Savings: Reduced material use, waste disposal, and shorter construction timelines contribute to substantial savings.
- Future-Proofing: As carbon taxes and net-zero targets tighten, owning and operating inefficient, high-carbon assets poses growing risks to owners and investors.
- Market Value: Sustainable, upgraded buildings attract buyers and tenants seeking modern functionality and climate credentials.
Prediction:
By 2050, the vast majority of urban building stock will date from pre-2020—meaning the focus must shift now from replacement to enhancement.
From Principle to Practice: Next Steps for Industry and Government
Realizing the full benefits of adaptive reuse requires joint action across government, industry, and communities. Key recommended policies, many aligned with the RetroFirst campaign, include:
- VAT Reform: Lower taxes for repair, retrofit, and maintenance to correct current disincentives.
- Permitting Simplification: Streamline planning permission and building regulations for retrofitting projects.
- Mandating Retrofit for Public Works: Require public sector projects to demonstrate retrofit-first options have been fully explored.
- Financial Incentives: Offer grants, tax credits, and low-interest financing for deep energy retrofits and sustainable refurbishments.
- Education and Skill Development: Expand training for construction professionals in adaptive reuse, carbon assessment, and energy upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What does “embodied carbon” mean in building design?
A: Embodied carbon refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions generated in producing, transporting, assembling, maintaining, and eventually disposing of building materials throughout a building’s lifecycle.
Q: Is retrofitting always cheaper than building new?
A: In most cases, retrofitting can save 30–50% in costs compared to demolition and new construction, especially when factors like resource use, operational savings, and future carbon taxes are considered.
Q: What are the main policy changes demanded by the RetroFirst campaign?
A: The three primary demands are: reducing VAT on refurbishment, prioritizing policy to reuse buildings, and mandating retrofit-first approaches on all publicly funded projects.
Q: Are retrofitted buildings as energy efficient as new builds?
A: With deep energy retrofits and modern technologies, existing buildings can achieve—and often exceed—the operational energy performance of most new buildings, especially when whole-life carbon is factored in.
Q: How does adaptive reuse preserve culture and community?
A: Adaptive reuse retains architectural heritage and historical identity, fostering a sense of place, continuity, and belonging for local communities.
The Call for Transformation
The climate emergency is a defining challenge of the 21st century. RetroFirst proposes a simple but radical shift in perspective: favoring the reuse and refitting of our existing building stock as the default, not the exception. Doing so ensures carbon, culture, and capital are conserved—not wasted—placing sustainability at the heart of every city’s future. The time for demolition-first thinking has passed. Retrofitting is not just a green option; it is the only viable path to climate resilience and a prosperous urban era.
References
- https://aijmagazine.co.uk/going-retro-why-retrofitting-is-the-answer-to-the-climate-crisis-and-how-to-get-in-on-the-action/
- https://arccadigest.org/past-into-future-adaptive-reuse-in-a-climate-positive-world/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQUUHITuy4
- https://www.eocengineers.com/enhancing-the-potential-of-adaptive-reuse/
- https://architectureisclimate.net/practice/retrofirst/
- https://studioegretwest.com/news/were-backing-the-architects-journal-retrofirst-campaign
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