Retrofitting Social Housing: Alternatives to Demolition

Abstract

<p>For decades, social and council housing estates across the UK have been severely neglected. The consequential deterioration of housing conditions is used to justify estate ‘regeneration’ programmes based on demolition and rebuilding, which most housing associations, local authorities and developers claim is the only way to provide new housing and improve living conditions.</p><p>However, demolition and rebuilding is socially, financially and environmentally costly, relying on the construction of high-value homes for private sale to pay for rebuilding demolished social homes. This results in the displacement of existing communities, the privatisation of public land and a failure to address the need for additional social housing. Shelter confirmed that between 2022-2023 alone there was a net loss of 11,700 social rent homes in the UK.</p><p>‘Regeneration’ through demolition and rebuilding also has significant environmental costs including high levels of greenhouse gas emissions (‘embodied carbon’), loss of greenspace, and air, soil, water and noise pollution.</p><p>Benefits of retrofitting housing estates are increased well-being and reduced fuel bills, reduced build-times and construction costs, and less resource use and environmental impact. Retrofitting alternatives crucially enable the continuation of existing communities. This exhibition explores the potential in three case studies, each showing a different approach:</p><p><strong>St. Raphael’s Estate</strong>, Wembley, a resident-led design proposal by Architects for Social Housing, focused on providing new homes alongside existing, maintaining existing communities and landscape.</p><p><strong>Wilmcote House</strong>, Portsmouth, a completed project by ECD Architects, retrofitting an existing block of flats to EnerPHit standard to radically reduce fuel poverty and improve living conditions.</p><p><strong>West Kentish Town Estate</strong>, Camden, a RIBA-funded research project by AAB architects, testing whether retrofitting can deliver the client’s brief whilst addressing the imperative to reduce ecological harm. </p><p>Two accompanying events on 25^th September 2024 will explore the barriers to the more widespread implementation of retrofitting in policy and practice and make proposals for change. </p><p>We call on policymakers, funders, housing associations and local authorities; architects, engineers and built environment professionals, institutions and media; as well as residents, tenants, leaseholders and freeholders, neighbours, as well as the homeless and future residents of social housing, to join us in advocating for a better future for the UK’s public housing.</p>