The ‘As found’ aesthetic
The core question at the heart of every retrofit project is the is ‘how much needs to be done?’ On the one hand, enough needs to be done to create an effective building that can successfully accommodate proposed activities and users into the long term. On the other, doing too much will incur unaffordable environmental and commercial costs. In the context of the climate emergency, this balance needs to be re-assessed and, in particular, the expected outcomes of retrofit should be challenged.
Ideas / Retrofit
July / 2025
An emphasis on ‘re-invention’ within commercial retro-fit development typically encourages a desire to present the retrofitted building ‘as good as new’ aesthetically. The assumption is that for a building to be desirable again, the marks, scars and dated features of its previous existence should be erased and covered with a contemporary gloss. Likewise, problematic layouts and awkward spatial configurations should be ‘rationalised’. An exception to this is made for points of ‘historic significance’ which should be restored sensitively to bring back to their original appearance.
Challenging this assumption offers a clear route for reducing the embodied carbon associated with retrofit construction. An alternative emphasis that celebrates the ‘as found’ condition of a building and focuses on strategic intervention rather then re-invention, can reduce the overall amount of work and material involved in project, which in turn is the most significant way to reduce embodied carbon and the environmental impact of construction. This requires a significant shift in expectation of a completed project’s appearance, but as the radical approach taken at County Hall, it can prove popular and effective.
In place of a uniform and consistent appearance, the ‘as found’ expresses the story of occupation and the quirks of adaptation over the years. An un-repaired wall shows the scars of previously demolished partitions, retained flooring shows the ware of constant use, unexpected layouts and openings reflect a previous use. These marks offer points interest and opportunity, the accidental details that can create identity and character and mark a point of difference.
Strategic Intervention
Once a baseline strategy for the existing building has been established, expenditure should be considered and applied to the right areas which bring most impact whilst reducing disruption. For example, background repairs can be reduced to essential works to allow expenditure to focus on moments of peak interaction. This has the added benefit of minimising waste from demolition and minimising additional resource use and associated carbon.
To minimise the amount of carbon generated by construction projects, the amount of waste generated by the design should be reduced as much as possible. This should be done for both construction and operation. A fit-out waste management plan should be developed in line with a waste hierarchy to identify key fit-out waste streams and additional options for reuse, recycling or other management. Above all, avoid sending waste to landfill. Find ways of using waste from demolition in the proposals. Work with suppliers to reduce packaging and encourage reusable or recyclable packaging wherever possible for construction, and install adequate recycling positions for occupier use to increase recycling of waste on-site.
To minimise the demand and maximise opportunities for re-use, specify low-flush toilets, waterless urinals and/or dual flush WCS. Reduce water consumption during construction - specify the monitoring and limiting of wet trades proposed within the construction process. Identify water metres and propose automatic feedback from BMS for ongoing water consumption monitoring.
