New Scottish National Centre for Retrofit of Traditional Buildings Announced

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03 October 2024

A new national centre dedicated to championing the retrofit of traditional buildings will be established in Scotland.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), using £1 million of funding from the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, will establish the hub to help develop new research and best practice for the retrofit of traditional buildings. The centre will prioritise training and innovation in the use of low-carbon retrofit materials.

Current retrofit interventions required to improve energy efficiency in modern buildings are often not suitable for traditional buildings, which require specific considerations around heat, moisture and airflow, as well as special care to ensure their cultural significance is maintained in the adaptation process.

According to a survey of 1402 Scottish people, retrofit is one of the top measures for achieving net-zero targets by 2045. Despite the widespread recognition of the need and value of retrofit, the survey also found that 7 in 10 (70 per cent) Scottish would be put off purchasing a traditional property because of the perceived barriers to retrofitting.

Dr David Mitchell, Director of Cultural Assets at HES, said:  “There is no route to net-zero without viewing existing buildings as assets and ensuring we have a sound base on which to make retrofit work for both the buildings and the occupants. Without this understanding and expertise we could negatively impact the health of both buildings and occupants. The Retrofit lab will help us meet our objectives by enabling us to expand and enhance our research and training capacity. Collaboration will be key to our approach, from academic and commercial partners to local authorities and third sector organisations, as we work together to build best practice and develop the technical skills traditional building retrofit requires.

“Retrofit of our traditional buildings can bring many wider benefits if done properly to protect the special character of these buildings that give local places their unique identities. There are also huge potential economic benefits and new employment opportunities to be realised through ensuring our existing building stock is in a good state of repair and that retrofit measures are technically sound and effective. We have over 4000 years of traditional building experience in Scotland – our heritage and traditions are integral to our future success.

“The scale of the challenge ahead to meet national targets at the pace required will require an acceleration of efforts across all sectors, and the Retrofit lab will enable HES play its part to support retrofit and the historic environment’s transition to net zero while making a real and lasting positive difference to people’s lives.”

Picture: a photograph of a row of stone cottages with sloped, shingled roofs. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 03 October 2024

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