About the event 

The Retrofit Pattern Book is the first of a series of proposed pattern books designed to cover the main archetypes in the UK housing stock as part of 5th Studio’s mission to provide retrofit advice appropriate to over 90% of UK householders. The Retrofit Pattern book illustrates the value of investing in and improving the energy efficiency of our homes. It is an illustrated guide for homeowners and all those involved with retrofit that provides general information on energy use, how best to decarbonise residential buildings on a fabric level, and what the benefits of retrofitting are. 

The first issue of the Pattern Book explores the challenges and processes of retrofitting flat-fronted Victorian Terraced homes, with other home types planned to follow. By explaining the context, development, characteristics and potential challenges of this housing type, the Pattern Book models and advises on different depths of fabric intervention and the processes and outcomes of their implementation.

If you are involved in retrofit projects this guide offers invaluable advice for clients, contractors and the design team, clearly setting out viable options in language accessible to all parties.

About the speakers

5th Studio

5th Studio are an architecture and urban design practice committed to the politics and technics of sustainable design. Through research and practice 5th Studio have a deep understanding of the potential to both reinvent and protect what already exists, extending the lifespans of existing buildings and providing effective and lower-carbon alternatives within the construction industry.

Oliver Smith

Oliver co-founded 5th Studio in 1997. He has led the direction of many award-winning retrofit and refurbishment projects and has developed a research-informed approach to low-carbon new building, and the retrofit of existing and historic listed buildings. He is adept at designing strategies for the decarbonisation of urban, residential, college, and university estates – balancing the reduction of demand from existing buildings with the provision of new energy centres and the capacity of renewable energy supplies to meet this demand.

Grace Fletcher

Grace plays a key role in developing 5th Studio’s retrofit projects. She works across a broad range and scale of Sustainable Architecture projects and led the development of the Pattern Book. As a Passivhaus certified designer, Grace has established an impressive high-performance low-energy approach to her recent leadership of various university and mix-use decarbonisation strategies and designs.