by Graham Potts
Regional director – Kier Construction London & Thames Valley
"The built environment is at a critical juncture. Over the last decade, London, and the construction market more broadly, has shifted from new build towards retrofitting and repurposing solutions, driven by planning constraints, sustainability targets and the need to maximise the value of existing assets. Kier is leading this transition, applying our expertise to complex, high-profile projects that deliver both commercial performance and environmental responsibility."
After recently co-hosting our latest roundtable, our regional director for Kier Construction London and Thames Valley, Graham Potts, introduces our latest industry perspective: Retrofit and repurpose: reshaping the future of sustainable construction.
Construction is undergoing a significant transformation. The market is moving, fast – and as an experienced Tier One contractor, we are responding to these shifts.
Retrofit and repurpose schemes are having a renaissance as the sector looks to find ways to combat rising costs, planning constraints, and pressure to meet sustainability, heritage and commercial targets.
Further challenges include the shortage of skilled workers and disruptions to supply chain availability, both of which can risk delaying projects and increasing costs.
While experience is critical, we need new talent coming through and a collective system for retrofit and repurpose schemes that captures the right answers and helps us tackle projects together.
We need to consider how we can balance commercial ambition with carbon responsibility, manage complex risk and scale solutions across the built environment. This is particularly the case at a time when London’s new build commercial and residential pipeline has decreased by almost 30% year on year*.
Recently I was joined by leaders from the private sector to examine how we can innovate, collaborate and scale best practice to ensure London’s built environment is ready for the challenges and opportunities of the decade ahead.
Some key takeaways I had were:
Early contractor involvement
- There is a growing call for contractors to have specialist input and collaboration earlier on in the procurement process, not just at cost plan stage. This should include risk-sharing to help mitigate uncertainty and deliver more successful outcomes.
- Engaging contractors earlier and bringing people in at the right stages of a project, with transparency and collaboration, can unlock value and maximise project outcomes.
Sustainability and innovation
- New standards require us to innovate, test and learn. Unfortunately, we are seeing gaps in knowledge-sharing and transparency within the sector. More than ever, innovation must be supported by confidence.
- Sustainability and whole-life carbon must remain central to every decision.
It’s not just about compliance
- Retrofit and cut and carve isn’t just about compliance; it can be a strategic opportunity.
- Making the best use of the bones of a building often makes both commercially and in terms of sustainability.
Unlocking skills and economic opportunities
- With 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 already standing, retrofit is the mainstay of construction.
- By aligning VAT in retrofit with new build, we could see the unlocking of skills, jobs and a major economic catalyst.
At Kier, we believe we’re at the forefront of this shift, delivering projects that show how complex buildings can be revitalised to meet the evolving demands of the customer in the London market.
Our 360 approach supports customers across the whole lifecycle of a building or asset as we are able to draw on our in-house design, engineering and building and maintaining capability while using the very latest construction techniques, digital tools and carbon and community resilience strategies. This ability to innovate ensures we offer best value to our customers.
This integrated model reflects the systems thinking needed to meet London’s retrofit and repurpose challenge at pace and scale, helping projects move forward with greater certainty, efficiency and long-term value.
Read more about our roundtable here: Retrofit and repurpose: reshaping the future of sustainable construction.
(*Arcadis’ UK Market View Autumn 2025 report, via Construction News)