Cities Intelligence

03 CitiesIntelligence March2024 RetrofitatScale 03|March2024 Clickonpageheadingstonavigatedocument Foreword Overview Casestudies Aruppeople Policyperspective Furtherreading RetrofitatScale WelcometothethirdeditionoftheCitiesIntelligence publication.Thistimeitfocusesononeofthemostpressingtopicsontheglobalagenda…retrofit. WehaveawonderfulrangeofcontributorsinthiseditionwhocoverabroadrangeofideasandprojectsinboththeUKandEurope.Theyeachprovidereflectionsonhowthebuiltenvironmentcantackleretrofitatscalethroughdifferentpolicyleversandapproaches.AtArup,wehavebeenprovidingadvicetoclientsfromcityleaders andadministrationsthroughto Foreword developersandfunds. Additionally,wehavebeenundertakingourownresearchandthoughtleadershipwhichfindsthatretrofitisaboutstrongrelationshipsandpartnershipsbetweenthepublicandprivatesector,alongsideasystemsthinkingapproach. Retrofitisnotsimplyaboutdecarbonisationofbuildingsbutalsotacklesresiliencetoclimatechange,energysecurity,enhancedphysicalandmentalhealth,betterpublicspaceandenhancedbiodiversity. Thankstoallthosewhocontributedtheirtimetothiscollectionofstoriesandhappyreading! JoannaRowelle Director,Cities,PlanningandDesign,UKIMEA 2 3 03|March2024 Clickonpageheadingstonavigatedocument Foreword Overview Casestudies Aruppeople Policyperspective Furtherreading Retrofitadaptsourexistingbuildingsandneighbourhoodstobesafer,healthierandmoresustainable. Retrofitcanimprovethermalcomfort,improvehealth,buildenergysecurity,minimisecarbonemissionsandprotectagainsttheimpactsofclimatechange. RetrofitatScale Overview Arup’sUKRetrofitatScalebusinessconfrontsthecomplexsystemchallengeofretrofittingUKbuildingstockatscaletomeetournetzerocommitments.Italsoseekstodeliveraggregatedbenefitstolocalcommunitiesthroughaplace-basedapproachtotransformationalchange. ©SolStock 55 4 03|March2024 Clickonpageheadingstonavigatedocument Foreword Overview Casestudies Aruppeople Policyperspective Furtherreading Theplaceswhereweliveneedtochange,toenhanceandpreservequalityoflife,andtomeetnetzerocommitments. Theplaceswherewelivearecentraltoourindividualandcivichealthandwellbeing. Butourhomesandneighbourhoodsneedtoadapttopolicyimperatives,presentneedsandfuturerisks: 0.5oc GlobalandUKaveragelandtemperatureshaverisenbyaround1.2°Csincethe1850-1900periodandareexpectedtorisefurtherbyatleast0.5°Cby2050,regardlessofeffortstocutglobalgreenhousegasesemissions. (source:ClimateChangeCommittee) Source:ClimateChangeCommitteeSource:Arup Clicktodownload AddressingoverheatingriskinexistingUKhomes AnArupreportcommissioned bytheClimateChangeCommittee NetZeroWholeLifeCarbonRoadmapAPathwaytoNetZerofortheUKBuilt Environment,towhichArupcontributed. RetrofitatScaleisvitaltomeetingournetzerochallenge-toreducegreenhousegasesfromheatingandpoweringourhomes,withoutwastefuldemolitionandrebuilding. Thenexttenyearsneedtoseeadrasticreductioningreenhousegasemissions. Thelatestfiguresshowthatemissionsfellby13percentbetween2018and2023,againstatargetof19%. Source:WholeLifeCarbonRoadmap:APathwaytoNetZero,UKGBC RetrofitatScale Overview:Futureneighbourhoods 25% Buildingsandinfrastructureaccountfornearly25percentofUKgreenhousegasemissions–anddomesticbuildingsarethelargestcontributor. (source:UKGBCNetZeroWholeLifeRoadmap) £900m Coldhomesandfuelpovertyareamajorsourceofill-health,costingtheNHSnearly£900millioneachyear. (source:BREGroup) £2.5m Climatechangewillmeanmoreandmorehomesarevulnerabletooverheatingandflooding,with2.5 millionpeoplepotentiallyexposedtofloodriskby2080. (source:ClimateChangeCommittee) 180 160 140 120 MtCO2e 100 80 60 40 20 0 2018202020252030203520402045 Buildings(NonDomestic) EmbodiedCarbon Buildings(Domestic) EmbodiedCarbon Infrastructure EmbodiedCarbon Infrastructure Operationalcarbon Buildings F-Gas Buildings(NonDomestic) OperationalCarbon Buildings(Domestic) OperationalCarbon 2050 Buildingsandinfrastructureneedtodecarboniseatpaceoverthenextdecades 67 03|March2024 Clickonpageheadingstonavigatedocument Foreword Overview Casestudies Aruppeople Policyperspective Furtherreading Meetingmultipleobjectivesatminimalenvironmentalcost. Retrofitisamajorcontributortodecarbonisingtheeconomy.Itcanreduceenergyconsumption,andmakeourbuildingsfitforafutureofhighertemperaturesandmoreextremeweather. Retrofitupgrades,suchasimprovementstofiresafety,ventilationandoverallcomfort,canproduceimprovementsinphysicalandmentalhealthforoccupiersthattheymightnothavebeenabletoundertakeorfundontheirown. Arupworkswithstakeholdersacrosseverydimensionofthisissue,frompoliticalleaderstolocalcommunities,toprovideleadership,insightandsupportforclientswishingtoacceleratethisvitalnationalpriority. RetrofitatScale Overview:BenefitsofRetrofitatScale Embodiedcarbonisakeyconsiderationforretrofit:sometimesmaterialsembodyingcarbonemissionsneedtobeusednowtosaveoperationalemissionsinthefuture,balancingenergyperformanceandembodiedcarbontominimisethetotalcarbonimpact.Arupworkswithindustryleaderstodesignandoptimiseuseofregenerativematerials,whichactivelysupportandrestorenaturalresources,a