The Importance of Retrofitting Historic Homes: Learning From a Tenement Experiment in Glasgow
Published: 6 October 2023
Research insight
Rob Richardson from the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) reflects on the challenges and opportunities of retrofitting, particularly for tenement buildings in Glasgow.
Retrofitting existing buildings is essential to reaching net zero in the coming years, as 80% of the UK's housing stock in 2045 will be buildings that already exist.
This is a challenge, particularly for the UK's aging housing stock, which loses heat up to three times as fast as homes in Germany.
Historic buildings add a unique dimension to this challenge. Glasgow's distinctive tenement flats, which line its residential streets, are a fundamental part of the city's identity.
The term "tenement" most commonly refers to pre-1919 sandstone three or four storey apartment buildings set around a communal stairwell or "close." Glasgow has approximately 77,000 such pre-1919 tenement flats, which account for a quarter of the city's housing stock.
Tenements are a versatile built form. In the industrial inner-city, families once lived in one-room "single-ends." However, larger tenements are still sought-after among professionals and families, particularly in more affluent parts of the West End and Southside of Glasgow.
Tenement blocks are therefore often mixed tenure, have a diverse mix of occupants, and can accommodate retail and hospitality uses at ground level, creating high-density mixed-use neighbourhoods across the city.
The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) recently held a conference on retrofit solutions for older housing, at which it launched the report of a comprehensive evaluation of an exemplar retrofit scheme at Niddrie Road.
Funded by Glasgow City Council, Scottish Funding Council, Southside Housing Association, and the Scottish Government, the project aimed to deliver an EnerPHit level retrofit (PassivHaus for existing buildings) to a "typical" four storey tenement block.
Despite the age of the building, the poor condition it was in, and various other logistical challenges, the retrofit was successful.
Twelve months on, the dwellings perform below targeted levels of energy consumption, provide a comfortable and healthy environment, and have high degrees of occupant satisfaction – particularly given the resulting drop in energy bills.
Read the full article on the International Public Policy Observatory website
First published: 6 October 2023