the socially regenerative power of retrofit

Successful retrofit breathes new life into old buildings. but it also brings opportunities to breathe new life into the economic and social life of the communities that surround them.

Bringing a disused building back into daily use can boost the local pride and identity of existing communities, and drive positive social change.

Over 20 years ago, we cut our teeth on socially regenerative retrofit with schemes such as Matchworks, Fort Dunlop and Soapworks. These locally iconic buildings had once been the centre of economic activity in their respective neighbourhoods, with communities built around the employment opportunities that these factories offered.

They were not just part of the built fabric, they played a part in the social fabric of people’s lives and families, and the stories handed down from one generation to the next. Everyone knew someone who worked there. People met their partners at work, or made lifelong friendships. Soapworks even had its own football team.

Our retrofits of locally significant workplaces in various cities have created newly successful, commercial destinations, which tapped into their existing identities as much-loved neighbourhood landmarks, established over time by the people that had worked in them and lived alongside them.

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