feature Retrofit
RETROFIT REVOLUTION IN FITZROVIA
Why closing the retrofit skills gap is crucial for a green future
The Building Centre in London’s Fitzrovia recently ran an exhibition that explored the challenges and opportunities of retrofitting buildings across the UK.
The exhibition, Retrofit 25 - What’s stopping us?, was organised by The Building Centre and the National Retrofit Hub (NRH). It ran until mid-September, open to the public, and was free.
The Building Centre is run by the Built Environment Trust and was founded in 1931 as “an independent charitable organisation dedicated to inspiring and supporting knowledge and practice in the world of building”.
It holds free exhibitions, seminars and other events as part of a public programme which aims to inform and inspire conversations and showcase the best in materials and manufacturing.
Earlier this year, in the introduction to the Gatsby Foundation report, Closing the Retrofit Skills Gap Charlotte Ravenscroft wrote, “It will be impossible to meet the UK’s net zero target without decarbonising virtually all buildings.
“This will mean the mass retrofitting of homes and other buildings, including fabric improvements and changeover to low carbon heating. Recruiting the workforce to carry out retrofitting – and
training these workers to a high standard – is therefore a mission- critical task for reaching net zero by 2050.”
Meanwhile, in its report, Green skills as an enabler of UK retrofit, PwC said, “As many as half a million jobs could be supported annually if the UK is successfully able to fully retrofit the country’s existing housing stock in line with our Net Zero carbon commitments.”
It is therefore particularly timely that this year’s Retrofit exhibition was aimed primarily at showing innovation and practical solutions.
Retrofit 25 took over the ground floor of The Building Centre, with eight pods in the main Platform Space that focused on particular themes, and showcased solutions with case studies, videos and examples of buildings projects that have been retrofitted to either change the use of the structure or improve its efficiency for the residents or commercial users.
The exhibition examined eight essential themes: communities; hearts and minds; jobs – which included addressing skills shortages, workforce development, and diversity in retrofit careers. There was carbon and materials; innovation, the role of technology and data in advancing retrofit; money – overcoming financial barriers; ethics – justice, fairness, and the role of retrofit in ensuring equitable housing; and whole value – redefining success in retrofit projects beyond cost.
34 unite buildingWORKER Autumn 2025
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