Interested in the retrofit journey from the perspective of people who have decided to do it themselves? Discover lessons, insights, and surprises these UK homeowners encountered while retrofitting their houses, from series two of our Accelerate to Zero Podcast.

Airtightness is the foundation of a fabric-first approach and in creating high quality, low energy demand buildings.  

But airtightness is not just about energy savings: good airtightness contributes to improved comfort, building durability, and better indoor air quality, provided it's paired with appropriate ventilation. 

Yet despite its importance, airtightness products can be a rare sight on site. 

Sean Smith, Professor of Future Construction and Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure within the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded the BE-ST Beacon Award in 2024.

A retrofit one-stop shop, sometimes called a retrofit agency, is an approach to engaging communities around retrofit delivery. In Scotland, there is not yet a fully established one-stop shop, but there are several which are starting to emerge.

Today BE-ST officially relaunched its Innovation Campus by welcoming stakeholders to see the newly equipped Mass Timber Centre of Excellence and Scotland’s newly retrofitted National Retrofit Centre. 

In this article, Rob Morrison, Impact Manager BE-ST shares the vision behind the Retrofit Scotland project, which will be crucial to delivering a community-led retrofit approach across the country.