A retrofit first approach to sustainable building design, with the transformation of an outdated concrete office block to a vibrant new student hub for London Southbank University.

This retrofit-first approach to sustainable building design, has transformed an outdated concrete building into a vibrant new student hub for London South Bank University – demonstrating how an existing building can be upgraded to achieve a contemporary look and extend its design life, while minimising its carbon footprint.

By refurbishing and saving as much of the existing materials as possible, the A1-A3 (cradle-to-gate) embodied carbon component related to substructure and superstructure for the project is just 49 kgCO2e/m2 – under half of the LETI target for education buildings.