Retrofit
Retrofit means to add something in which wasn’t originally there. In terms of your house, this usually means new insulation, services, or low and zero carbon technologies, with the aim of improving energy efficiency and reducing energy cost.
Just imagine having a home that’s not only warm and draught free but has lower energy bills.
Thermographic image of home pre-retrofit. Note: red indicates high heat losses
With the current cost of living crisis, energy prices are rising each year. Unfortunately, this means that many people struggle to keep their home warm. Retrofitting your home will allow you to improve the energy efficiency, thereby using less energy every day and lowering your energy bills.
Some common retrofit measures to improve energy efficiency include:
Adding natural, breathable insulation to walls, floor and roofs where possible.
Reducing air leakage (draughts) to avoid wasting heat.
Replacing existing windows and doors with high quality products.
Replacing existing gas, oil and direct electrical heating with low and zero carbon alternatives.
Incorporating the latest renewable energy technology.
Improving the ventilation strategy.
Using heat recovery ventilation and waste water systems where appropriate.
We have multiple low energy and retrofit professionals in our team. This includes Certified European Passive House Designers and Architects with training in retrofit coordination and domestic energy assessing.
Together, our team covers all corners of the retrofit market, whether you are looking for a Passivhaus level retrofit (EnerPHit), a phased holistic retrofit, or a retrofit to bring your home to a specific energy band.
We have completed multiple successful retrofit projects, take a look at our case study below!
The Process:
We always start with an initial home visit to view your house and discuss options. Following this, we will provide you with a fee proposal to undertake the following services:
Test and analyse your home to determine how well is currently performs.
Test a variety of potential improvement options to identify which methods will be most affective.
Compare the results with several standards, including the updated Building Standards and Passivhaus EnerPHit.
Produce a schedule of works together with a step by step programme which could be undertaken in one contract, or over several years.
Prepare and submit planning and building control applications if required.
Prepare construction drawings and specifications to enable the works to be tendered.
Administer the construction Contract and attend site to ensure that the project progresses as planned.
Carry out the Principle Designer role as required by Health and Safety.
After the Retrofit has been completed, we will also provide you with the information you need to maintain your home and operate for maximum energy efficiency.
Case Study - Dorran Low Energy Standard retrofit
Dorran bungalows were post-war housing that used reinforced concrete panels in their wall construction. These often had the steel reinforcement close to the surface of the concrete which allowed moisture to oxidise, or rust, the steel. Steel expands when it rusts, so this caused the surface of the concrete to spall and crack. When this happens, this is known as concrete cancer and can cause structural failure of the panels. As a result of this, dorran bungalows, and other types of post-war housing constructed in similar manner, is often not suitable for mortgage borrowing. These quick supply housing solutions were poorly insulated and generally relied on high output heating systems, costing a lot to keep running.
Architeco were commissioned to address the issues with a Dorran bungalow in Barrhead. With the walls being constructed in concrete, the thermal insulation was extremely poor, with damp and other issues being evident. We developed a strategy that would both insulate the walls as well as structurally repair any potential failure of the concrete panels.
By wrapping the whole building in an insulated structural skin, the new external leaf connects into the roof structure protecting against structural failure. The concrete panels have now become internal and offer excellent thermal mass to the house, helping to balance peaks and troughs in temperature variations.
New windows were fitted in the insulation layer, with the whole house clad in larch, dramatically changing its appearance. The attic space was insulated using sheeps wool insulation and the concrete roof tiles were replaced.
With the new insulation, the fireplace and oil boiler became redundant and were removed along with the chimneys.
With Retrofit First fast becoming the preferred approach to sustainable architecture, even the most difficult of buildings offers opportunities to be greatly enhanced and utilised for the foreseeable future, and can be more cost effective than you may think.