Elizabeth House

astudio sits within Elizabeth House allowing us to use it as a case study to test out our approach to retrofit in the city.  Our study investigates the potential to re-use the existing concrete frame of the building to create the backbone of a larger development. With engineers and cost consultants we have developed a retrofit option that has added 2.5 times the area to the site, has an option to maintain the tenancies in place  and lifted the energy rating from an F to a B.  With larger more efficient floor plates the buildings net to gross area improved and the skin was designed to be adaptable to its orientation.  Modern phase change materials in the façade enables the building to capture the heat from the sun and emit it when required, reducing the buildings energy requirement.  The case study proved a viable alternative to a new build based upon a modest rent of £35m² and a yield of 6%.  The environmental argument is even more compelling, reducing the embodied energy, compared to new build that may take up to 60 years to repay.