Responsible Retrofit of Traditional Buildings

As affiliate members of the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA) www.stbauk.org we are committed to minimising risks and maximising benefits to traditional buildings and their owners with a focus on five key areas:

• The health of the occupant
• The health and durability of the building fabric
• The energy consumption attributed to the building/occupant
• The impact on our communities and culture
• The impact on the natural environment

A large part of this is improving how we firstly heat and power, and secondly how we retain the heat and power, within existing buildings and the subsequent effect this has on both the historic fabric and the wider environment.

Upgrades of this nature are generally termed as ‘retrofit’ and can include measures such as:

• The installation of vapour-permeable insulation to walls, ceilings and floors
• Draft proofing windows and doors
• The installation of solar panels and home batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall
• The installation of ground- and air-sourced heat pumps and wind turbines
• The installation of passive ventilation and heat recovery mechanisms

At Janus Associates, we advocate a holistic ‘whole building’ approach based on a comprehensive understanding of the existing fabric and utilising a palette of materials and techniques which are compatible with the building’s technology.

As conservation-accredited professionals with both the RICS and the CIOB we have the skills, experience and qualifications required by the government to retrofit listed buildings of all levels.