Retrofitting sustainability to historic city core areas

Historic, mixed-use, core urban areas such as Soho in Central London have proved remarkably resilient with building stock that is adaptable to changes of use over time. Such districts contribute significantly to the social fabric and cultural character of cities and are highly valued by their resident and user populations. In the UK, buildings, according to various estimates, contribute between 44 and 52% of the total carbon emissions and there is now considerable pressure to retrofit existing urban areas to make them more environmentally sustainable. The built fabric in the historic areas is relatively energy- and resource-inefficient, although embodied energy and carbon is high owing to the long working life of buildings. At the same time the existing buildings, because of their use, have high energy demands. Guiding retrofitting requires an integrated urban design and management approach at the district or neighbourhood scale that addresses both buildings and urban spaces. A methodology is outlined that meets the needs of cultural preservation while facilitating retrofitting of resource-efficient systems.