Ryder delivered a retrofit feasibility study for the Scottish Futures Trust. Varying options of retrofit were compared on a demonstrator site in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The study went well beyond a typical feasibility study. Engaging the whole design team in early stage energy and emissions modelling demonstrated an innovative approach to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) which included the embodied carbon of the existing building structure, the demolition process and material waste.
The results pioneered new methods in detailed embodied carbon reporting while revealing some eye opening findings, suggesting that the key benefits to retrofit lie within a reduction of embodied carbon, rather than cost savings.