Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
Upfront carbon: 380.8 kgCO₂e/m²
Whole-life embodied carbon: 596.6 kgCO₂e/m²
The project responds to the climate emergency by prioritising reuse, resilience and long-term viability over replacement or abandonment. Prior to intervention, the listed building faced long-term vacancy due to regular flooding and limited commercial appeal. Residential conversion was not viable, placing the building at risk of progressive deterioration.
By adapting the structure for resilient commercial use, the project preserves substantial embodied carbon, avoids demolition and ensures continued occupation and maintenance. Flood-adaptive strategies allow the building to function within its environmental realities, reducing waste and extending its lifespan.
The architecture supports future flexibility through reversible interventions, durable materials and adaptable spaces, allowing the building to evolve in response to changing needs. Local sourcing and long-term employment reinforce community value, while the building’s continued presence enhances the setting of nearby heritage assets.
Together, these measures demonstrate a holistic approach to climate responsibility that integrates environmental, cultural and social sustainability.
Afterlife
The retrofit strategy was guided by three principles: retain embodied carbon, improve environmental performance, and enable long-term resilience. Rather than treating the building as a blank canvas, the design works with its inherited structure, materiality and riverside context.
Performance improvements begin with extensive fabric retention. Original masonry walls, riveted steel beams and timber floor structures were repaired and reused, while unsympathetic later additions were removed. Daylight penetration and natural ventilation were dramatically improved by reopening original volumes and introducing glazed partitions and steel-framed windows, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and mechanical systems.
Flood resilience was fundamental. The ground floor is fully tanked and finished in robust terrazzo and tile, with electrical systems raised above predicted flood levels and lightweight furniture enabling rapid recovery after flood events. These measures reduce material replacement, waste and downtime over the building’s lifespan.
Operational energy demand is reduced through a fabric-first approach supported by an air-source heat pump system for heating and cooling. Passive strategies, including daylighting, natural ventilation and thermal zoning, further limit energy use. A redundant chimney flue has been repurposed as a ventilation duct, exemplifying circular design thinking.
Together, these interventions significantly enhance environmental performance while preserving the building’s character, demonstrating how careful retrofit can deliver both sustainability and architectural quality.
The architectural approach prioritised optimisation of the existing structure before introducing any new fabric. Extensive analysis identified opportunities to recover lost spatial clarity, improve environmental performance and accommodate new uses within the historic envelope.
Original masonry walls, structural steelwork and timber floors were retained and repaired, preserving embodied carbon and structural integrity. Twentieth-century additions that compromised daylight, circulation and legibility were removed, allowing the building’s original proportions and rhythms to re-emerge. Existing openings were reused for ventilation and services, avoiding unnecessary intervention in the listed fabric.
The new roof extension is deliberately limited in footprint and designed as a lightweight, independent structure. Its justification is functional, environmental and architectural: it provides flood-protected workspace, reinstates the building’s historic vertical emphasis, and restores coherence to a silhouette diminished by the loss of the original chimney. Its Corten cladding establishes a clear dialogue between old and new, weathering over time to harmonise with the masonry below while remaining unmistakably contemporary.
Crucially, the extension is reversible and subordinate in scale, ensuring the historic building remains the primary architectural presence. The result is an intervention that enhances capacity, resilience and identity while respecting the authority and material integrity of the original structure.