Retrofit and decarbonisation: it’s time to rethink the route to scale

Retrofit with purpose: rethinking decarbonisation and design Across the UK, the call for mass retrofit grows louder by the month. Buildings account for around 40 per cent of our carbon emissions, and if we are serious about meeting net zero targets, large-scale retrofit is non-negotiable. Yet despite the ambition, the path we are currently paving could make true scale impossible. From May 29, 2025, new rules in England require all new Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) installations to comply with the MCS 020a standard, but the new rules will not come into effect until May 29, 2026. From this date, all air source…
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Why the UK’s new-build towers are becoming summer ovens

Life inside a heat trap As we discussed in a previous Blog Post, groups of tall buildings are prone to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect - which happens because materials like concrete and asphalt absorb and retain heat. A recent headline caught our eye. It refers to what happened last June when a warning was stuck to the window of a flat in Leaside Lock, East London, reading: "DO NOT BUY THESE FLATS. TOO HOT." The photo has been shared over half a million times: Picture Credit: Aidan Sheehan Twelve months later, after the UK recorded its second-warmest June and…
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On the brink: why climate resilience can’t wait

The UK's weather is no longer just 'unpredictable' The UK's relationship with weather has long been one of mild fascination, but the days of gentle unpredictability are fading fast. We are now firmly in the age of climate disruption - and it's getting worse. From overheating cities to flash floods, droughts, wildfires, and infrastructure failures, the UK is no longer insulated from extreme weather. These events aren't 'one-off's' either - they're part of a volatile new normal. What we are seeing are climate 'whips' (hydroclimate whiplash) - sudden swings between extremes, such as torrential downpours following long dry spells, or…
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