Refurbishment, re-use and renewal

Refurbishment of buildings entails giving outdated buildings a new purpose with an upgrading and reconfiguration that goes beyond the cosmetic.

Increased environmental awareness means that, rather than throw away, we are increasingly being told to recycle and re-use. This ethos is also being applied to buildings. Rather than knock down and start again, the option to recycle and re-use buildings is being examined more carefully with a view to gaining cost and embodied CO2 savings - as it may prove more carbon efficient to re-use what is already built. This philosophy can offer operational CO2 savings too as the heating and air-conditioning requirements of the refurbished buildings are reduced.

Concrete’s inherent robustness, flexibility and minimal need for additional finishes mean that concrete buildings are particularly well-suited to the ethos of recycling. They can easily be updated and future-proofed to meet the differing demands of occupiers and predicted impacts of climate change. However, should a concrete building be deemed unsuitable for retention and refurbishment, its concrete structure and reinforced steel are easily recycled.

There are a number of case study examples of buildings being re-used; Elizabeth Court II in Winchester, 55 Baker Street in London and Park Hill in Sheffield are just a few.