I've danced on eggshells and walked on thin ice (metaphorically). I've trodden on carpets, lino, floorboards, polished concrete, bricks, tiles and flagstones, non-metaphorically. But the floor of Wednesday's meeting space was made of large metal tiles and that was a first. They've probably been there, under my feet, in any number of office blocks as part of the raised-access flooring, but always covered with something else. The dull gleam and grey reflections were a subtle sign that the building was a bit unusual. "This is not an ordinary project. But it needs to be."
'This' is the Entopia Building in Cambridge, retrofitted to extremely high environmental standards for its current occupiers: the University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership. I was there for a strategy workshop, and a chance to catch up with other Senior Associates and Fellows and, if I'm honest, a nosey around the building I'd heard so much excitement about when it was in the planning stages.
Spot the difference
I expected to see lots of unusual features, quirky or surprising things which shouted 'eco' and 'innovation' at me, but the most striking things was how ordinary it all looked. The twin ambitions of low energy use and high reuse of existing materials are met without the casual visitor noticing it.
There are, of course, the PV panels on the roof terrace which also provide shade for the outdoor seating. But you wouldn't know that the steel pergola they sit on was reused from the Marvel film set.
Light fittings have been directly reused from an entirely different set of offices. The reception desk also started life in another building in another city. But they don't look self-consciously second-hand - far from it. If I hadn't read up about it, I would never have known.
That metal floor is unusual once you notice it, but again it's unobtrusive. It doesn't even create an echo, due to the clever use of a blown cellulose acoustic coating on the ceiling which baffles noise and makes the meeting space very good for conversations. The tiles were part of the original telephone exchange, and had been covered with glued-on carpet which needed to go. Now they've been cleaned and buffed, and I rather liked them.
The building has 75% lower heating demand than your average office building, partly due to how airtight it is: more than five times the airtightness required by UK building regs. The new triple-glazed windows sit there quietly, doing their job, without fuss.
Other examples
Another retrofit and refurb is Bridge 5 Mill in Manchester. I ran a workshop there a couple of weeks ago, and loved the cob-walled reception area. This is a much more in-your-face eco-refit, and you can find out more about its sustainability credentials here.
What's needed to scale retrofit and refurbishment?
Finding out more about Entopia led me to Peter Kelly of ISG. In a webinar about the project, he talks about the importance of logistics (moving the items or materials from one place to another), storage (because you may not have an immediate destination for that wonderful arch, tonne of steel or delicate light fitting) and advertising which helps buyers find just what they need.
For buyers and sellers finding each other, I was reminded of the explosion of pre-loved fashion and the platforms which allow buyers to browse from hundreds of sellers at the same time, whether they are purely commercial like Vinted or based on the charity shop model like Oxfam online. And for other kinds of items, including food, there are very familiar platforms like ebay (for buying and selling), Freecycle and Olio (for free transations as well as sales). These are for multiple small swaps. For an entire office building, you're looking for scale and a professional service.
Who can help?
There are a few other interesting retrofit and refurbishment examples. These businesses are members of the Office Furniture Remanufacturing Association UK:
Rype Office and their sister company Nezo Interiors.
Find out more
Find out more about the Entopia Building here:
Peter Kelly from ISG talking about circularity including light fittings, steel and the reception desk.
M&E Engineers Max Fordham's take on their work.
Making the Path by Walking
This post was first published in July’s Making the Path by Walking newsletter. Scroll right down to subscribe.