Episide 30. Retrofit expert Bob Prewett describes how a client’s brief for an ‘extreme retrofit’ in 2008 gave him ‘something bigger than architecture to think about’. Divided between London and Wells, the ten-strong Prewett Bizley Architects has a portfolio of completed retrofit projects that achieve upwards of 70% energy savings and regularly monitors its buildings to understand how they operate over time.
Although a founder member of the Passivhaus Trust, Bob observes that ‘we rarely push all the way to Passivhaus which is a bit strong for many heritage buildings’. Self-taught when retrofit resources, training and exemplar projects were scant, Bob explains the many ways architects can upskill today.
Vinu Daniel on transforming mud and waste into architecture
Carmody Groarke’s Sian Ricketts on making bricks from waste
AKTII’s David Watson on how to reduce the environmental impacts of brick
‘Over-specification of concrete is an industry addiction’
Henning Larsen’s Martha Lewis on how to screen materials for both chemicals and carbon
‘I’m no longer the wood weirdo,’ says Andrew Waugh
The Public Practice associates driving retrofit and net zero in the public sector
Je Ahn on setting up Studio Weave and working with found materials
Material passports and Architects Declare four years on
Architects must re-educate themselves on timber sourcing
Architype’s Ann-Marie Fallon: ‘Net Zero has almost lost its meaning’
‘We apologise for designing buildings that exploit the planet’
Chinese architect Xu Tiantian on revitalising rural villages
Historic England’s Morwenna Slade on why a ‘fabric first’ approach must be used with caution in heritage buildings
Adapting conservation area guidance for climate emergency
Balancing heritage and climate urgency in listed buildings
Educators Sofie Pelsmakers and Cíaran Malik on teaching climate literate design
The trade-off between ventilation and airtightness in the post-pandemic world
Why architectural education needs radical reform
Danish architect Lone Feifer on ‘absolute’ sustainability
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Dear Alice | Interior Design
99% Invisible
The John Clay Wolfe Show
The War of the Worlds
Anne of Avonlea
Creative Pep Talk
Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production