CIBSE Retrofit Revisit 2024

This article appears on the CIBSE Knowledge page as 'Retrofit Revisit (2024)' dated July 2024.

[edit] About the report

Retrofit Revisit is an important building performance evaluation project to inform the UK’s approach to improving our housing stock and contribute to our net zero objectives. This publication details a building performance evaluation of 10 retrofitted homes, carried out approximately 10 years after the original retrofit works. It aimed to gather lessons on retrofit and on BPE techniques.

[edit] On retrofit

• What has stood the test of time?
• Are there any new lessons on how to carry out retrofit projects?
• Topics of particular interest included (but were not limited to): energy demand, moisture, insulation options (moisture and combustibility), degradation of original solutions (e.g. airtightness).

[edit] On BPE techniques

• What can be learned in a relatively short and non-intrusive manner, from individual BPE techniques or packages of several techniques?
• Where are more specific or detailed BPE techniques useful? How can some BPE techniques being, or newly, developed help?

[edit] The sample of 10 homes

• Six were part of the 2009 Retrofit for the Future programme. All were considered best practice or exemplar at the time, and employed a whole house 'deep' retrofit approach.
• Six were pre-1919 properties.
• Nine were houses, one a flat.
• Some were tenanted from housing associations, others occupied by private owners.
• The insulation strategies and properties varied, with a mix of external, internal, and cavity insulation and of permeable and impermeable materials.
• Heating, hot water and ventilation systems were very varied across the sample.

A two-tiered Retrofit Revisit is an important building performance evaluation project to inform the UK’s approach to improving our housing stock and contribute to our net zero objectives. This publication details a building performance evaluation of 10 retrofitted homes, carried out approximately 10 years after the original retrofit works. It aimed to gather lessons on retrofit and on BPE techniques.

[edit] Table of contents

• Executive summary
• Abbreviations
• Foreword
• Cross-project briefings
  • Briefing 1: BPE overall approach
  • Briefing 2: Energy use: current performance and evolution over time
  • Briefing 3: Airtightness: performance, solutions and evolution over time
  • Briefing 4: Thermal layer
  • Briefing 5: Construction details: corners, junctions, edges and interfaces
  • Briefing 6: Indoor environmental quality
  • Briefing 7: User experience
  • Briefing 8: Maintenance
  • Briefing 9: BPE techniques: airtightness testing
  • Briefing 10: BPE techniques: thermal and moisture evaluation techniques
• Case studies
  • CS1 Blaise Castle
  • CS2 Hawthorn Road
  • CS3 Grove Cottage
  • CS4 Culford Road
  • CS5 Hensford Gardens
  • CS6 Rectory Grove
  • CS7 Princedale Road
  • CS8 Shaftesbury Park Terrace
  • CS9 Wilmcote House
  • CS10 Passfield Drive
• References
• Appendices
  • Appendix 1: Briefing to evaluators and BPE methodology
  • Appendix 2: Residents' briefing and consent form
  • Appendix 3: Comparison of BPE methodology with BS 40101:2022
  • Appendix 4: Domestic occupant satisfaction surveying
  • Appendix 5: Detailed testing: moisture
  • Appendix 6: Hawthorn Road: hygrothermal risk analysis report
  • Appendix 7: Shaftesbury Park Terrace: hygrothermal risk analysis report
  • Appendix 8: Hawthorn Road: hygrothermal risk analysis report
  • Appendix 9: Results from fungal testing and visual inspection

[edit] Details

• Authors: Julie Godefroy and Marion Baeli
• Key funding partner: Innovate UK
• Funding partner: Historic England
• Support and funding: 10 Design and Studio PDP
• In-kind support: BPE Testing and Experts, Build Test Solutions, Paul Jennings, Qoda, Leeds Beckett University, Loughborough University, UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings, BPE evaluators, Justin Bere, Bere Architects, Nuala Flannigan, Warm, Helen Grimshaw, Carbon Coop, Andy Macintosh, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio, Ian Mawditt, Four Walls, Lilija Oblecova, ECD Architects, Bob Prewett, Prewett Bizley, Mike Roe, Warm, Lizzy Westmacott, ECD Architects, Tim Wilcockson, Qoda, Joe Jack Williams, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio
• Steering Group: David Allinson, Loughborough University, Caroline Cattini-Dow, Historic England, Zack Gill, Soap Retrofit
• David Glew, Leeds Beckett University, Sally Godber, Warm, Marianne Heaslip, People Powered Retrofit, Valentina Marincioni, UCL & UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings, Loreana Padron, ECD architects, Sarah Price, Spruce (previously at Qoda), Rokia Raslan, UCL, Hannah Reynolds, Historic England, Peter Rickaby, Peter Rickaby, Kate Simpson, Imperial College, Morwenna Slade, Historic England, Lynne Sullivan, National Retrofit Hub, Luke Smith, Build Test Solutions.

This article appears on the CIBSE Knowledge page as 'Retrofit Revisit (2024)' dated July 2024.

--CIBSE

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Alteration work.
• Bill Gething and Katie Puckett - Design for Climate Change.
• Definitions of retrofitting.
• Energy efficiency of traditional buildings.
• Energy efficiency retrofit training videos.
• Households Declare.
• How to deal with retrofit risks.
• LETI publishes Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide.
• National Refurbishment Centre.
• National Retrofit Hub.
• National Retrofit Strategy NRS.
• New energy retrofit concept: 'renovation trains' for mass housing.
• PAS 2035.
• Refurbishment.
• Renovation.
• Renovation v refurbishment v retrofit.
• Retrofit and traditional approaches to comfort.
• Retrofit coordinator.
• Retrofit, refurbishment and the growth of connected HVAC technology.
• Retrofitting solar shading.
• Shallow retrofit.
• Step-by-step retrofit.
• Whole house approach.