Retrofit-first approach to be debated at Barbican summit

The topic will be examined by former environment secretary John Gummer, now chair of the Committee on Climate Change, Grosvenor’s director of climate positive solutions Andy Haigh, and Barbican chief executive Claire Spencer.

The event, to be held on 7 June and titled ‘Retrofit: Challenges and opportunities’, has been curated in partnership with the AJ and will be chaired by the magazine's managing editor Will Hurst.

It will explore innovative retrofit case studies and discuss the policy, procurement and tax barriers that reuse projects face as well as the growing commercial opportunities such projects present for developers, designers and others in the built environment.

The subject has become a hot topic in recent months, particularly in light of the public inquiry into the proposed demolition of the 1929 M&S Oxford Street store, a battle now set to be decided by communities secretary Michael Gove by July 20.

This week, the AJ revealed that a group of leading property developers – Grosvenor, Lendlease, Stanhope, L&G, Mace, British Land, SEGRO, Berkeley and Igloo – are demanding architects get to grips with embodied carbon by measuring, verifying and declaring the emissions associated with their projects, something expected to lead to far greater reuse of existing buildings as well as increased use of natural materials such as timber and stone.

The wider Ecocity summit, an international conference which was first held in 1990, has never before been held in London. It will take place from June 6-8 at the Barbican Centre with the theme of ‘connecting communities’.

Other speakers will include Norman Foster, RIBA Gold Medallist Yasmeen Lari, Martha Thorne, Hanif Kara, Deborah Saunt, Sadie Morgan, and the founder of the 15-minute city concept, Carlos Moreno.

Topics to be explored at the summit include biodiversity and regenerative design.

Retrofit: Challenges and Opportunities will be held on Wednesday 7 June from 9.30-10.30am at the Barbican Centre’s Main Hall