Retrofit quick links
Retrofit is a type of work that can be carried out on existing buildings, it has in recent years become a popular part of teh construction lexicon. Other terms relating to retrofit that might be used include restoration, refurbishment, remediation, renovation, or repurposing. Retrofit itself usual refers to the installation of fabric and service upgrades to bring a building up to modern standards in terms of use, function or efficiency. Designing Buildings wiki has number of articles relating to the retrofit of buildings, some of which are listed below:
- A world perspective on retrofit.
- Alterations to existing buildings.
- BRE and Willmott Dixon project to retrofit of a 1920s semi-detached house.
- Building an extension..
- Change of use.
- CIOB conservation scheme welcomes retrofit roles.
- City of London Corporation launches Heritage Building Retrofit Toolkit.
- CLC publishes retrofit competence framework.
- Deconstruction..
- Delivering net zero and commercial retrofit UKGBC.
- Digital modelling for retrofit.
- Domestic Retrofit training course.
- Ecobuild 2016 - Making the business case for large scale retrofit investment.
- Energy efficiency retrofit training videos.
- Fit out of buildings.
- Five tips for planning a home renovation.
- Flexbury Church.
- Free retrofit skills programme for the construction sector.
- Funding available for retrofit and innovation.
- FutuREstorative - review.
- Get Retro-Fit campaign.
- Green deal.
- Heritage significance assessments to evaluate retrofit impacts.
- How to deal with retrofit risks.
- How to make a business case for retrofit.
- Large scale retrofit.
- LETI publishes Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide.
- Material amendment.
- Material change of use.
- Minor material amendment.
- Non material amendment.
- National Refurbishment Centre.
- National Retrofit Hub unveils Guide to Digital Building Logbooks.
- National Retrofit Strategy NRS.
- National Retrofit Strategy v2 launches.
- New energy retrofit concept: 'renovation trains' for mass housing.
- Performance gap between building design and operation.
- Planning permission.
- Permitted development.
- Plumbing and heating for successful retrofit and renovation.
- Recommendations for implementation of the National Retrofit Strategy.
- Refurbishment.
- Remediation..
- Renovation.
- Renovation v refurbishment v retrofit
- Report on Social housing retrofit in Scotland 2023.
- Repurposing.
- Restoration.
- Retrofit and traditional approaches to comfort.
- Retrofit business case.
- Retrofit coordinator.
- Retrofit eaves insulator.
- Retrofit experts highlight critical actions Scottish Government must take to reach net-zero targets.
- Retrofit investment.
- RetrofitLab App.
- Retrofit-led regeneration in Greater Manchester.
- Retrofit measures for historic buildings and cities.
- Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
- Retrofit, refurbishment and the growth of connected HVAC technology.
- Retrofitting.
- Shallow retrofit
- Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator BEIS.
- Social housing retrofit in Scotland
- Step-by-step retrofit.
- The National Retrofit Hub Co-Creators Initiative.
- The National Retrofit Hub resources at a one year milestone.
- Tips for house renovations on a budget.
- Timber and retrofit.
- Time to retrofit to secure a net zero future.
- Types of work to existing buildings.
- Whole house retrofit plan.
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