What is retrofitting in the built environment?
Retrofitting refers to refurbishment works where new features or technology systems are added to an existing building to make it more sustainable, improve its safety and enhance the level of comfort.
Retrofitting features and technologies can include:
- water systems designed to reduce usage and consumption
- energy-efficient alternatives (LED)
- green supply energy
- sensor motion lighting
- smart ventilation systems
- strategic addition of insulation
What are the benefits of retrofitting?
Retrofitting’s main goal is to improve resource efficiency such as water or electricity, and to increase building performance with an enhanced ROI. A building retrofit can also be beneficial for the environment because it:
- reduces the need for fossil fuels that cause pollution
- lowers water usage and improve the quality of air
- eliminates the presence of CO2
- reduces the amount of waste going to landfill
It also helps address a very important aspect of building maintenance – the utility costs – by installing smart meters designed to reduce consumption, replacing old lighting with LED alternatives including sensor motion lighting, and having a controlled fresh air system, it helps cut costs substantially.
A controlled fresh air system provides a comfortable temperature all year round, enhancing employees’ health and wellbeing at work.
Working with the property developer Dorrington we had the chance to implement some of these features and technologies in projects such as Panagram or Laszlo recently.
