UKGBC launches a Commercial Retrofit Innovation map

Introducing the Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map, released as part of a collaboration between Bill Gates founded Breakthrough Energy, Fore Partnership and UKGBC.

A free innovation tool the helps design teams identify sustainable solutions for commercial retrofit projects is being launched today.

The Commercial Retrofit Solutions Innovation Map signposts users to more than 500 sustainable retrofit options, helping architects, developers and engineers identify proven solutions that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability.

Believed to be a first-of-its-kind for the built environment, the map showcases solutions for energy generation, operational efficiency, circularity and low-carbon materials. The intention of the map is to make it easier for project teams to identify relevant solutions for their buildings.

The map is already being utilised to identify solutions for the Grade II* listed One Poultry retrofit project in the City of London, and is being launched for use by industry as part of a new initiative between UKGBC, Breakthrough Energy and FORE Partnership. The initiative, which launched earlier this year, aims to tackle challenges in retrofitting commercial buildings by embedding innovation within the retrofit strategy.

A key part of this is using the map to identify solutions for the for the Grade II* listed No. 1 Poultry. A landmark retrofit project in the City of London, No 1 Poultry will act as a live showcase for sustainable solutions and an industry exemplar for how to embed innovation into the project process from the outset. It aims to inspire other commercial retrofit project teams to apply the solutions map, increasing innovation adoption across the industry.

The Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map is being previewed at a free webinar session on September 15th and at an in-person event at No. 1 Poultry the same week. A written case study sharing insights from the project will be shared with the wider industry next week.

Explore the map here

Emily-Rose Garnett, Senior Advisor on Solutions and Innovation at UKGBC, said:

Innovation in the built environment is happening all around us, yet it often remains fragmented or hidden in silos. This map brings many of those solutions together in one place, helping project teams explore their options and identify solutions providers. By raising awareness, we aim not only to showcase what’s possible but also to accelerate real-world adoption and deliver meaningful sustainability impact.”

Yetunde Abdul, Director of Industry Transformation at UKGBC, said:

This map is about scale. We need sustainable solutions to be the norm, not the exception, in retrofit projects. By bringing together hundreds of innovations and linking them to live projects like No. 1 Poultry, we’re creating a bridge between what’s possible and what’s actually being done.”

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