The project Wolvercote Road Thamesmead was a government funded ‘Retrofit for the Future’ competition launched by the Technology Strategy Board in March 2009. The aim of the competition was to develop innovative and scalable whole house refurbishment strategies with potential to reduce 80% of CO2 emissions in low-rise social housing (equivalent to 17 kgCO2/m2/year based on the 1990 baseline). Following two intense design phases, 86 teams across the UK were shortlisted and awarded £150,000 to implement their strategies onto occupied houses. The selected properties would be monitored for 2 years following the refurbishment, with findings feeding into research papers and nationwide design guidance.
The ‘Retrofit for the Future’ competition was initially brought to the attention of the Gallions Development Team by Fraser Brown McKenna Architects, one of Gallions Framework Architects and Buro Happold engineers in 2009/10; they then together with Martin Associates developed the concepts for project submission which was subsequently awarded funding by the TSB.
