Project at a glance
Service
Housing & Property Maintenance
Sector
Residential
Location
London
Status
Complete
Client
Brent Council
Brent Housing Retrofit Pilot
Exceeding energy performance certificate targets in Brent
In 2021, we delivered a pilot housing retrofit project for Brent Council, establishing the foundation for the council’s wider housing retrofit strategy.
Taking a fabric-first approach, the project involved a deep retrofit of a void property, enabling the council to test and evaluate a range of energy efficiency measures in an unoccupied home. This provided valuable insight into future retrofit investments while ensuring no disruption to tenants.
The results were exceptional — predicted carbon emissions were reduced from 6.8 tonnes to -0.5 tonnes per year, and the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating rose from F to B, surpassing the Government’s targets for housing retrofit.
A collaborative design journey
Designed to build an understanding of retrofitting at scale, Brent Council’s pilot project was commissioned to provide the council with valuable insights into the most effective ways to achieve its carbon reduction strategy across its housing portfolio.
The project explored a range of energy efficiency measures, assessing how different combinations could maximise carbon savings and improve EPC performance. Throughout the process, the team successfully navigated shared challenges — including ensuring that all stakeholders fully understood and complied with PAS 2035 standards — setting a strong foundation for future large-scale retrofit initiatives.
