As we face the mounting challenges of net zero, economic uncertainty and social inequality, the need to retrofit our existing building stock has never been clearer or more urgent. But despite widespread agreement on the why, the how remains tangled in barriers, from policy inertia to skills shortages. That’s the challenge at the heart of Retrofit 25 – What’s Stopping Us?, a powerful new exhibition running at the Building Centre in partnership with the National Retrofit Hub until 19 September
Shifting away from the familiar retrofit barriers and challenges, Retrofit 25 is focused on a more galvanising theme: what’s already working, and how can we scale it?
It’s a natural evolution of three years of retrofit-themed programming at the Building Centre, following Retrofit 23’s focus on housing and Retrofit 24’s exploration of commercial, cultural and civic buildings.
“We didn’t want to focus on one building typology over another,” said Rachael Owens, co-director of the NRH.
“We really take the view that retrofit is a system. The way we upgrade any kind of building affects things like the supply chain, finance, training, so we need to think about it all together.”
That systems-thinking approach is embedded throughout the exhibition, which is structured around eight essential themes: Communities; Hearts & Minds; Jobs; Carbon & Materials; Innovation; Money; Ethics; and Whole Value. Together, they form a wide-lens view of the retrofit challenge, not just as a technical or financial hurdle but as a cultural, economic and social opportunity.
“There’s been so much conversation in the industry about barriers,” said Owens.
“But we also know there are already incredible solutions and ideas out there. So we wanted to flip the narrative: yes, what’s stopping us, but also what’s already getting us through these blockages.”
Interconnected themes
The idea of solutions-led provocation is at the heart of Retrofit 25’s design. Each theme is explored through a dedicated exhibition pod featuring real-world case studies, technologies and materials.
This is backed by a “house without walls” installation space that invites visitors to explore tangible retrofit measures in action. The walk-through gallery is a space for interaction, demonstration and discussion.
Retrofit from the ground up
Community-led retrofit is one of the exhibition’s opening themes.
“We’ve seen some really inspiring work from community groups. They hold a huge amount of trust locally and they know what people in their areas actually need,” said Owens.
“But they’re often under-resourced and under-supported.”
Highlighting their work, she says, is key to building a movement from the ground up.
Materials and innovation
Two of the exhibition’s most closely linked themes are Carbon & Materials and Innovation.
With the UK operating within a finite carbon budget, Retrofit 25 showcases approaches that prioritise keeping as much existing fabric as possible, while selecting materials that balance performance, sustainability and practicality.
These considerations naturally tie into the Innovation theme, which highlights the industry’s evolving responses including technologies that minimise disruption and reduce
installation time, to creative solutions tailored for homes with limited space or complex needs.
Retrofit for healthier homes
Another major theme, Hearts & Minds, aims to reframe how we talk about retrofit – not as a sacrifice, but as a step toward better, healthier homes.
“This isn’t just about reducing your carbon footprint and energy bills. It’s about comfort, wellbeing and resilience,” said Owens.
“If we frame it that way, people are much more likely to engage.”
The exhibition doesn’t shy away from the bigger structural issues, either. Themes like Money and Jobs tackle some of retrofit’s most stubborn bottlenecks: finance and workforce. With the Climate Change Committee reporting that the bulk of UK retrofit must be privately financed, the Money theme explores how to unlock capital through incentives, loans and cross-sector benefits like carbon credits and grid operator support.
Meanwhile, the Jobs theme spotlights the urgent need for skilled workers and the parallel opportunity to create thousands of high-quality, green jobs.
Accelerating retrofit at scale
A dynamic event programme runs alongside the exhibition, featuring panel discussions, webinars, workshops and networking sessions, all designed to foster collaboration across sectors and accelerate retrofit at scale. Whether you are a retrofit designer, specifier, product manufacturer, local authority, financial institution or letting agents, the event
speaks to a broad professional audience.
“We’ve curated something for everyone who might visit this event space,” explains Owens.
“And that includes early adopter householders. The Building Centre has always been a bridge between professionals and the general public, so we wanted to make sure there’s
something here for them too.”
Making the case for retrofit
Launched in late March, the exhibition also marks two years since the National Retrofit Hub was first unveiled at the Building Centre. Since then, the NRH has worked to unify the industry, building momentum around retrofit at scale, even in the absence of consistent government support.
That may now be changing. Owens points to signs of progress, with the government’s Warm Homes Plan in development and more policy change on the horizon.
“We’re starting to see a bit more of a joined-up conversation, and the NRH is well positioned to feed in insights from across the industry.”
Still, political uncertainty remains a threat, particularly with scepticism from some political quarters about the cost of reaching net zero.
Owens is clear: “This isn’t something that’s going to make our lives worse. If it’s done right, retrofit is good for the economy, good for jobs and good for people’s wellbeing.
We can’t afford not to do it.”
Retrofit 25 may be asking “What’s stopping us?”, but as the exhibition makes clear, many of the answers are already within reach. The question now is who will step up and help move them forward.
Retrofit 25 – What’s Stopping Us? is free to visit at The Building Centre.
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