Gensler and Opportunity London Publish ‘Retrofit at Scale’ — a Definitive Guide to Unlocking Commercial Retrofit

‘Retrofit at Scale’ Presents Clear Actions To Accelerate the Practice of Retrofit With the Aim of Making It the Go-To, Sustainable Solution for the Industry

LONDON — In a joint effort to drive a retro-first approach, Gensler and Opportunity London — the partnership working to unlock the next £100bn of capital investment into low carbon real estate, energy, and infrastructure across the capital — have released Retrofit at Scale, a focused guide detailing how the industry can unlock retrofit as an attractive investment and a go-to solution for creating a more sustainable urban environment in London and across the UK.

To develop the guide, Gensler and Opportunity London convened a multidisciplinary advisory group of expertise from across the industry including Civic, LS Estates, ARUP, NLA, the Mayor of London office, and Arcadis, with further input from contributors such as Domna Homes, London Councils, and AGP.

Retrofit at Scale explores the industry’s key blockers to achieving retrofit and presents five essential pillars that could unlock the sector to make it a more successful route for the industry at large, including:

• Design & Delivery: By embracing digital tools and establishing new infrastructure like shared material hubs, the sector can move towards a faster retrofit process.
• Education: A strong educational framework with collaboration between academia and industry will raise confidence in retrofit and improve consistency.
• Policy: A clear and cohesive policy environment will attract investment and set a precedent for London and other global cities seeking to lead on the built environment transition.
• Behaviour & Attitudes: The industry is fragmented and a shared framework for best-in-class retrofit can create a standard and lead the way for action.
• Value & Demand: Retrofit is seen as complex and high risk; to solve this perception, the definition of value needs to be expanded.

Harry Cliffe-Roberts, Global Building Transformation & Adaptive Reuse Leader, Principal at Gensler, said: “With the growing urgency of the climate crisis, alongside shifting economic conditions and evolving social expectations, recognising the value of retrofit has never been more important. Together with Opportunity London and a specialist group of advisors, we developed Retrofit at Scale to shift the status quo and catalyse retrofit as a leading, attractive solution for a more sustainable urban future.”

The built environment is responsible for almost 40% of carbon emissions annually. Retrofit at Scale highlights retrofit as a viable route for addressing this through the reuse of existing buildings and their materials. Against the backdrop of industry-wide challenges, including entrenched reliance on outdated stock, siloed working culture, and differing typologies, the guide makes the case for shifting mindsets and policies towards retrofit as the standard.

Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive Officer at Opportunity London, said: “The ambition around retrofit is real, but unlocking private capital at scale has remained a major hurdle. Investors tell us they want to back retrofit, but only if there’s a credible, consistent path to delivery. This guide provides that path. It offers a framework the industry can align around, giving investors the confidence they need to commit capital and drive momentum across London and the UK.

“Sustainability considerations now shape decision-making for over three-quarters of investors, yet without scalable solutions, capital won’t flow. According to JLL, an estimated $1.2 trillion in global capital expenditure will be needed to bring end-of-life office assets up to modern standards, with up to 30% of European offices at risk of obsolescence over the next five years. Retrofit is essential to protect long-term value and keep cities investable.”

To encourage change, the guide advises the industry on where to start by sharing key actions to shift the needle from ideas to implementation. This includes standardising retrofit definitions; building a transparent data ecosystem; de-risk investment with retrofit-specific financial models, align policy and planning; and generate stronger market signals from tenants and occupiers.

Download the Retrofit at Scale guide here.

About Gensler

At Gensler, the value of our work stems from its positive impact on the human experience. We are a dynamic and collaborative design firm uniting creativity, research, and innovation to solve complex problems for our clients. Our work challenges conventional ideas about architecture and the built environment. We aren’t just designing buildings — we are reimagining cities and places that make a difference in people’s lives. Founded in 1965, Gensler has built a team of 6,000 professionals who partner with clients in over 100 countries each year. Everything we do is guided by our mission: to create a better world through the power of design.

About Opportunity London

A partnership to unlock London’s next £100bn of capital investment. Driving business development and matching capital to partners, projects and places across low carbon real estate, energy and infrastructure into and across London. Backed by London government and industry partners. A joint venture between London & Partners and NLA.