
Net Zero gains at risk as retrofit follow-ups fail to deliver
The 2025 Spending Review commits £13.2 billion to increasing energy efficiency in existing homes under the Warm Homes Plan, making retrofit a top priority. However, achieving Net Zero in retrofit projects, and new builds alike, depends on effective occupant education. Otherwise, we risk ambitions stalling at the point of handover. Recent findings from the leading authority in building services testing, intelligence, and research, BSRIA, reveal that despite nearly all (97%) of construction professionals agreeing that occupant behaviour plays a defining role in whether retrofits deliver operational efficiency, the vast majority are failing to measure or validate outcomes post-handover. The research found that three quarters (76%) of construction professionals admit that they do not prioritise post-occupancy evaluations (POEs), highlighting a significant lack of follow-up assessments to ensure that retrofit measures meet original design intentions. For both retrofit projects and new build developments, POEs are crucial to identify discrepancies between intended outcomes and real-world use. POEs enable adjustments that improve building performance while simultaneously supporting people in running their homes, or other buildings, efficiently to maximise indoor environmental quality and energy savings. Industry data has found that buildings are acutely affected by occupant behaviour, with recent studies indicating a difference between predicted building performance and measured output of as much as 300%[1]. This demonstrates how failing to embed occupant engagement and education into the handover process can leave retrofit work at risk of severe performance shortfalls, which can significantly erode energy efficiency and comfort. Adding to the challenge, BSRIA’s research found that over half (55%) of consumers are unfamiliar with what ‘retrofit’ means and only a third of homeowners (31%) believe that retrofit will reduce energy use. Furthermore, half of people say they are unclear about the impact of retrofit upgrades on carbon targets, underscoring the vital need for occupant education. Tom Garrigan, Executive Director at BSRIA, commented: “For housebuilders and developers, the handover of a retrofitted home can’t be the end of the story: implementing measures alone is not enough. Performance issues emerge when occupants don’t fully understand low-carbon systems and indoor environmental controls, leading to higher running costs and missed targets. “While there has been progress in some areas of the market, it’s critical that the wider industry prioritises occupant education to ensure that homes work for people in practice, not just on paper. “This doesn’t just apply to retrofit projects, either. With the Future Homes Standard approaching, residents in both new builds and refurbished buildings will require greater support to confidently manage longer heating cycles, responsive controls, and new approaches to comfort and efficiency.” With 62% of the industry agreeing that retrofit projects offer greater benefits than new builds, it’s clear that there is appetite within the sector for refurbishing existing housing stock. However, next-generation homes demand next-generation handover practices. By combining evidence-based specification, robust building diagnostics, verified product testing and thorough user guidance, the sector can deliver homes that both perform and satisfy, helping to drive mass-market decarbonisation. Garrigan adds, “Investing in robust post-retrofit evaluations and support will help to close the gap between design ambition and real-world results. This means that occupant education must be integral to the retrofit journey to ensure that the fabric improvements made will contribute to achieving Net Zero not just at point of installation, but for the long-term.” BSRIA continues to champion this approach through research, training and demonstrator projects that showcase retrofit leadership for the industry. Find out more: https://www.bsria.com/uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

CR Smith adds new expertise to leadership team
CR Smith, the window and door specialist, has recruited two highly experienced figures from Scotland’s construction and manufacturing industries to its leadership team, reflecting the firm’s commitment to expanding its public sector operations alongside its long-established domestic customer base. Danny McArthur, formerly managing partner at Hardies Property & Construction Consultants, joins CR Smith as Director of Commercial to lead the firm’s social housing and commercial activities. A qualified quantity surveyor, CDM principal designer, and project manager, Danny brings a wealth of expertise, having delivered major social housing development projects across Scotland. Alistair Mercer has been appointed Director of Manufacturing, bringing over a decade of leadership experience in manufacturing operations management. Skilled in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and project management, Alistair will oversee the CR Smith state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Fife. He will drive process innovation and workforce development, ensuring the facility continues to meet the complex demands of made-to-order and made-to-measure production. CR Smith, which designs, manufactures, and installs high-quality windows, doors, and home extensions, reported a 30% increase in revenues during Q1 2025, following several major contracts to upgrade social housing stock. As local authorities and housing associations implement ambitious plans to meet new sustainability standards, the firm is increasingly being chosen as a trusted partner, building on more than 50 years of success in the private housing, commercial house builder and public sector markets. The addition of Danny and Alistair to the CR Smith management team follows the recent appointments of Sharon Glass as Director of Finance and Michael Leggiero as Director of IT. Gerard Eadie, Chairman of CR Smith, commented: “The appointments of Danny and Alistair mark a significant step in our growth strategy. Both bring exceptional expertise and proven track records in their respective fields, which will be instrumental as we scale our operations to meet growing demand from both the public and private sectors. Their leadership will strengthen our ability to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient solutions for our customers across Scotland.” CR Smith, which has offices in Glasgow, Inverness, and Aberdeen, as well as its head office and manufacturing plant in Fife, has been a cornerstone of Scottish business since Gerard Eadie CBE took over in 1974, consistently investing in its people and innovation. The firm became one of Scotland’s most recognised brands in 1984 when it simultaneously sponsored both Rangers and Celtic. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Salix supports GMCA’s £28m Public Building Retrofit fund helping decarbonise Greater Manchester’s public estate
Salix Finance is proud to be working in partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on an initiative to help decarbonise public sector buildings across the region. The new Public Building Retrofit fund (PBRf), launched and administered by GMCA, will provide grant funding to public sector organisations to support the installation of low-carbon heating systems and energy efficiency measures in their buildings. Salix will play a key role in the delivery of the fund by undertaking the technical assessment of funding applications. With up to £28 million of capital funding available between 2025/26 and 2027/28, the scheme will support Greater Manchester’s ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reach net zero by 2038. This is 12 years ahead of the UK’s national target. This funding for GMCA has been delivered as part of the government’s devolution policy, providing mayoral authorities the tools to shape the future of their local areas, while improving accountability and building capacity across the local government sector. Salix chief executive Kevin Holland said: “We have built up extensive skill at Salix in delivering innovative, large scale and impactful decarbonisation projects across the public sector on behalf of government. “Our knowledge is valued across the sector, and we’re delighted to work with Greater Manchester Combined Authority on this new fund. “Our work on the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme equips us well to support GMCA through effective and impactful technical assessments, enabling the successful delivery of retrofit projects.” The fund will be delivered through a competitive application process, with several funding windows opening over the course of the programme. The first application window is set to open this summer, with additional dates to be announced later in the year by GMCA. The initiative aligns closely with national policy priorities, targeting the 9% of UK emissions that come from heating buildings. By supporting the replacement of fossil fuel-based systems and improving building efficiency, The Public Building Retrofit fund is expected to contribute directly to reducing energy consumption and improving comfort in public buildings. Kevin added: “Our partnership with GMCA shows our stakeholders the breadth of Salix’s capabilities and the value of our trusted expertise. “We look forward to building on this relationship and continuing to expand our impact across the public sector and beyond. “We’re on a mission at Salix and we’re committed to help the UK meet its ambitious 2050 net zero targets.” For more about Salix visit our website https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/ For full details about the Public Building Retrofit fund, visit the Public Building Retrofit fund – Greater Manchester Combined Authority Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Colliers appoints Lucy Stainton to spearhead ‘One London’ commercial push
Colliers has created a new commercial director post and named Lucy Stainton to the role, signalling a step change in its growth ambitions across London’s retail and office markets. Stainton joins from Green Street, where as vice president she played a central role in integrating the Local Data Company (LDC) following its acquisition. Before that, she served as a board-level commercial director at LDC. Her career has been defined by data-driven strategy and client development—skills Colliers aims to place at the heart of its London offer. Operating under Colliers’ ‘One London’ platform, Stainton will work across the firm’s retail and office teams to deliver joined-up advice for owners and occupiers. The brief spans data-led location strategy, portfolio optimisation, analytics, and strategic partnerships, aligning market insight with practical delivery on leasing, acquisitions, workplace moves and asset performance. Paul Souber, head of One London at Colliers, said: “Lucy’s appointment marks a significant step forward in our London strategy. Her deep expertise and proven ability to build lasting client relationships will be instrumental in delivering smarter insights and stronger outcomes for our clients. We’re excited about the energy and innovation she brings to the team.” Commenting on her appointment, Stainton said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Colliers at such a transformative moment. With data and strategic partnerships more critical than ever, I’m looking forward to help shape the next chapter of growth through building meaningful client relationships and delivering real impact alongside my new colleagues.” The creation of the role reflects how London’s leasing market is increasingly shaped by evidence-based decision-making. For retailers, this means network plans informed by granular catchment and footfall data, and for office occupiers, portfolios that balance location, amenity and commute patterns with cost and sustainability objectives. For landlords, it is about positioning assets to capture demand from brands and businesses seeking well-connected, service-rich space. By uniting its retail and office specialists under One London, Colliers is aiming to provide a single entry point for clients navigating mixed-use locations, evolving consumer dynamics, and shifting workplace expectations. Stainton’s remit—combining analytics, relationships and execution—is designed to bridge those worlds, turning market intelligence into growth strategies that can be implemented rapidly on the ground. With London’s core districts continuing to adapt, Colliers’ move suggests a sharper focus on cross-sector collaboration and measurable outcomes. Stainton’s arrival gives the firm a dedicated commercial lead to convert data and partnerships into deals—an approach that looks well-timed for a market where speed, insight and coordination increasingly decide who wins. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Spotlight on Retrofit at UK Construction Week Birmingham
UK Construction Week (UKCW) Birmingham has joined forces with the National Retrofit Hub to deliver a dedicated seminar programme on retrofit. Visitors can expect insightful sessions covering topics such as upgrading and decarbonising the nation’s housing stock, driving innovation in retrofit practices, and exploring how retrofitting is an essential strategy in the race to Net Zero. On Day Two (Wednesday 1 October), the focus on the Housing Action Hub turns to retrofit’s role in reducing whole-life carbon emissions and strengthening climate resilience, with expert-led seminars. In addition, a number of other stages at the three day event will feature Retrofit focused talks and seminars. Once again, UKCW Birmingham will place itself at the heart of this critical national conversation. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, UKCW Birmingham (30 September – 2 October, NEC) returns under the theme “where decisions are made.” Across three days, visitors will experience an unmissable line-up of big-name speakers, CPD-accredited talks, live demonstrations, product launches, technical workshops, and unrivalled networking opportunities. The programme of talks on retrofit includes: Main Stage Wednesday October 1st, 10.30am Retrofit Revolution: Meeting Citizen Demand for Warmer, Greener Homes At this session, you’ll learn about the latest research and insights on what drives demand for retrofit and decarbonisation. We’ll discuss the critical role householders play in enabling the transformation to low-carbon, low-cost, healthy homes, and how we all can better work with citizens to increase uptake and grow the retrofit sector. Speakers: Housing Action Hub Wednesday October 1st, 12.15pm Enabling Retrofit Innovation : RetroNetZero This seminar will present tools and resources published by the project that can help innovators and specifiers alike. We’ll explore regulatory pathways, discuss where innovators need to go to test and demonstrate their solutions and consider how regulation can better realise the health co-benefits of retrofit. Speakers: Wednesday October 1st, 1.15pm Retrofit Connect: Birmingham & Stoke Update on Street Demos A panel of experts will showcase pioneering stories from the Retrofit Connect programme – part of the National Retrofit Hub’s strategy to enable equitable, locally led retrofit at scale. Speakers: Wednesday October 1st, 2.15pm Retrofit and Whole Life Carbon: What’s the Consensus? The UKCW panel dives into practical strategies for transforming existing structures into climate-resilient, low-carbon assets—from smart energy upgrades to sustainable materials. Join experts to explore how retrofitting can drive environmental impact, meet rising tenant demands, and future-proof the built environment. Speakers: Net Zero Hub Wednesday October 1st, 2pm Building a Sustainable Future: Retrofitting for Climate Resilience This session will bring together those behind some of the big standards, campaigns and solutions for reducing whole life carbon emissions, particularly in the retention and retrofit of existing buildings. The conversation will be far-reaching and consider policy, materiality, economics, and community needs. Speakers: To help attendees get the most out of the show, UK Construction Week has launched its handy web-based app. Visitors can quickly build a personalised itinerary of talks, book meetings and navigate the floorplan, including viewing the Net Zero Trail, all from the palm of their hand. Neil Gaisford, Divisional Director, Construction, commented: “Retrofitting buildings has never been a more crucial part of construction and the pursuit of Net Zero, hence why we’re dedicating so many hours of UKCW seminars to discuss and dissect this important topic.” Alongside over 300 leading brands from around the world, UKCW Birmingham will feature 200 speakers and over 150 hours of seminars and talks across five stages – all of which are CPD accredited. Visitors will also be able to hear from a stellar line-up of speakers across the Culture Change & Skills Hub, Net Zero Hub, Housing Action Hub, and Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Hub. Visitors to UKCW can also elevate their experience with an exclusive VIP Pass for just £99 per day. The pass allows VIP guests to skip the queues with fast-track entry, relax in the exclusive VIP Lounge with complimentary coffee, a range of alcoholic and soft drinks, and a dedicated Wi-Fi network throughout the day. Free parking at the venue is also included in the purchase of the ticket. To register for UKCW Birmingham for free, visit https://forms.reg.buzz/ukcw-birmingham-2025/cab-pr To download the show app, visit https://www.ukconstructionweek.com/ukcw-app. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Aggreko Strengthens European Industrial HVAC expertise with two strategic appointments
Global leader in energy solutions Aggreko has bolstered its industrial HVAC and process temperature specialist support with two appointments across its European team. With over four decades of cross-sector experience at Aggreko between them, Andreas Essmann is now Business Development Manager for Temperature Control and HVAC in Europe North, while Christophe Chihaoui is Head of Temperature Control for France, and supporting Europe South. They join recently appointed Head of Temperature Control for the UK, Chris Smith, on Aggreko specialist industrial HVAC and process temperature control team working across a range of sectors, including the construction industry. This includes providing temporary and supplementary cooling, heating and dehumidification solutions to support with on-site maintenance works, system upgrades, temperature spikes and unexpected outages throughout the year. The appointments come following prolonged periods of extreme and unpredictable weather over the summer, including record temperatures reached during heatwaves[1]. Such conditions have been cause for concern for safety on sites and potential for operational and process temperature challenges. The prolonged periods of heat have led to growing strain on HVAC systems across industries, resulting in further demand from businesses and their appointed contractors for reliable and efficient temporary alternatives during critical maintenance and upgrade schedules. Early forecasts for the coming winter have conversely predicted colder than normal temperatures to face Europe with areas over the North-West and Southern Europe set to experience above average rainfall[2]. Responding to this, Aggreko is warning HVAC contractors and engineers, facilities managers and businesses across sectors to ensure they have plans in place to mitigate challenges caused by changing weather throughout the year. To support construction sites to remain resilient through unpredictable and extreme weather across the year, Aggreko has invested significantly in its fleet. Through its new team of specialists leveraging Aggreko’s extensive energy expertise, customers will also be able to receive integrated assistance using the company’s innovative power and temperature control fleet to boost efficiency and resilience. This includes accessing the latest offerings from Aggreko’s Greener Upgrades™ portfolio, such as hybrid temperature control solutions using battery energy storage systems alongside Stage V generators to save fuel, reduce emissions and improve reliability. On his appointment, Andreas said: “I am pleased to be leading the charge working with across Europe North to satisfy their temperature control needs. With rising temperatures and increasing demand for reliable, efficient HVAC systems, it is more important than ever that we support businesses with solutions capable of adapting to not only the changing weather patterns, but their evolving needs too. At Aggreko, we have made significant investment in our expertise and solutions meet the demands of industrial customers in Europe North and I look forward to leading our expert engineering teams to deliver this.” Christophe said: “Extreme weather conditions we have been seeing across France can have a significant impact on HVAC systems, and customers are finding themselves in need of additional capacity, fast. As part of this team, we have the expertise to help these companies plan for their requirements throughout the year and implement the correct technologies quickly. I’m excited to get started and help our customers futureproof their industrial HVAC, process temperature and efficient power solutions so they are prepared for anything.” Robert Wells, Europe President at Aggreko, said: “We are committed to ensuring our solutions and expertise respond to the changing needs of our customers to deliver the efficiency, reliability and sustainability they need on site. As unpredictable European weather continues to pose challenges, the appointment of two experienced experts into a dedicated team aimed at supporting our customers with their evolving industrial HVAC and process temperature is a central part of this. Alongside Chris Smith, Head of Temperature Control for the UK and Ireland, Andreas and Christophe bring together over six decades of on the ground experience across our key sectors in Europe and can ensure we can bring deep local knowledge backed by our global expertise.” Click the link for more information about Aggreko’s industrial HVAC and process temperature control solutions [1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/13/temperature-records-heatwave-europe-france-croatia-wildfires [2] https://www.severe-weather.eu/long-range-2/winter-2025-2026-early-forecast-la-nina-polar-vortex-cold-pattern-united-states-canada-europe-fa/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals