Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 22 minutes ago
‘It needs to be a very broad definition of making changes to keep a building occupied, relevant, and as efficient as possible’: How can ‘retrofit’ be defined? Find out more in our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode...
The definition of ‘retrofit’ has evolved over time – and even to this day the interpretations vary. In our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode, ‘Revolution in Retrofit: Beyond Bricks for a Greener Future’, we asked our panel to distill their own definitions of the term.
Ana Araujo, Partner and UK Facades Group Leader, discussed how, “...in 2024, there’s still some debate on what retrofit means.
“For me, it needs to be a very broad definition of making changes to keep a building occupied, relevant and as efficient as possible.”
Our special guest in this episode, Gillian Darley OBE, highlighted the success story of the Bartlett School of Architecture, which transformed a 1970s building into a thriving space, proving that even structures can be revitalised.
Darren Conboy, Associate, Buro Happold noted how each project presents unique opportunities, saying: “I think the aspect that's most meaningful to me about it is the buildings which have fallen out of use, they used to have a real kind of meaningful day to day use for people and then for whatever reason that's ended.
“And it's tempting to think that's the end of the building's life, but a lot of times these buildings do still have a promising future via retrofit.”
Listen to the full FOMO5 episode to find out more...
Subscribe to the whole series; sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.
This podcast series is brought to you by Buro Happold (https://buro.im/SandboxPodcast).
‘It needs to be a very broad definition of making changes to keep a building occupied, relevant, and as efficient as possible’: How can ‘retrofit’ be defined? Find out more in our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode...
The definition of ‘retrofit’ has evolved over time – and even to this day the interpretations vary. In our latest ‘Sandbox’ episode, ‘Revolution in Retrofit: Beyond Bricks for a Greener Future’, we asked our panel to distill their own definitions of the term.
Ana Araujo, Partner and UK Facades Group Leader, discussed how, “...in 2024, there’s still some debate on what retrofit means.
“For me, it needs to be a very broad definition of making changes to keep a building occupied, relevant and as efficient as possible.”
Our special guest in this episode, Gillian Darley OBE, highlighted the success story of the Bartlett School of Architecture, which transformed a 1970s building into a thriving space, proving that even structures can be revitalised.
Darren Conboy, Associate, Buro Happold noted how each project presents unique opportunities, saying: “I think the aspect that's most meaningful to me about it is the buildings which have fallen out of use, they used to have a real kind of meaningful day to day use for people and then for whatever reason that's ended.
“And it's tempting to think that's the end of the building's life, but a lot of times these buildings do still have a promising future via retrofit.”
Listen to the full FOMO5 episode to find out more...
Subscribe to the whole series; sometimes we’ll tackle a subject head on, sometimes a sideways view - but always with curiosity, expertise and maybe even a dash of humour.
This podcast series is brought to you by Buro Happold (https://buro.im/SandboxPodcast).
