Retrofitting has been a popular idea for several years. A number of planning authorities now actively encourage it instead of the traditional focus on demolition and replacement. The City of London will follow suit soon when a new Planning for Sustainability SPD comes in. It will have a big impact on commercial architecture in the Square Mile.
The SPD
The City of London Corporation, the governing body and local authority, has ambitious targets to be Net Zero by 2040. One way they aim to do this is by focusing on retrofitting. Their planning guidance will encourage people to think retrofit first, upgrading current buildings in the area rather than demolishing them.
Interestingly, the City Corporation has been looking at retrofitting for a while. The Planning for Sustainability SPD had been in draft form awaiting a decision. However, it got approval recently from the Planning and Transportation committee. That means it will become policy within the next few weeks.
Key themes
Interestingly, the SPD has four major themes that focus on sustainability. They could completely change the face of commercial architecture.
Firstly, is the creation of a circular economy. It would shift from a linear model to a circular one, ensuring that developers think about waste throughout the life of a building. That includes during construction and operation.
Secondly, is greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. Here, the policy would ensure that developers have to look at ways to reduce whole-life carbon emissions and operational emissions.
Thirdly, is climate resilience. This gives guidance on how to address serious issues like flood risk and water management, overheating, and pest/disease control. Ultimately, it wants to ensure buildings and infrastructure are resilient.
Finally, is urban greening and biodiversity. The guidance here looks at how to preserve, enhance, and protect greenery and green infrastructure in the City.
City comments
Shravan Joshi, the chairman of the Planning and Transport committee, had some words about the SPD. He said it “provides transparency to the built environment sector”. It will encourage developers to create “high quality, sustainable office space”. Crucially, he also said the City already has some of the most sustainable commercial architecture on the planet. The new guidance will ensure the “delivery of the next generation of new and retrofit developments”.
A statement from the City Corporation said the new guidance would also offer flexibility. If projects can’t achieve upfront carbon benchmarks, they can look at delivering “wider environmental sustainability benefits”. For example, it could be local energy networks or sustainable transport.
An architect’s response
Simon Sturgis, an architect and zero carbon expert, strongly welcomed the City’s move. He said the “Retrofit and Reuse policy is a great step forward in promoting carbon efficient development”. The City Corporation now needs to support it by ensuring they can give planning consent quickly when projects meet the guidelines.
Talk to us about commercial architecture
Retrofitting is a fantastic way to redevelop existing buildings and bring them back to life. It can be much better for the environment, keeping the carbon locked in the structure instead of releasing it. Additionally, it saves resources and can maintain the character and heritage of areas.
If you are thinking about a commercial architecture project, you can rely on Coffey Architects to help. We’ve got experience in this area, including office regeneration. So, get in touch and work with us to transform a building into the perfect new space for your business, a mixed use development, or a new use entirely.