This can feel counter-intuitive as we are often “talking ourselves out of a job”.  Refurbishments are often a more cost-effective, more carbon efficient and socially accepted solution than demolition. For refurbishment and retrofit to become the default solution going forward, let’s get engineers and design teams on board projects at an early stage with starting questions;

Can we re-located cores so that the building is better fit for purpose?

Can we reduce the imposed loads such that additional floors can be added?

Can we reuse existing foundations?

The lazy response can often be that it is too difficult to get services in but surely that is why you’re employed, because you do difficult.  This isn’t going to be an easy journey, we need to be prepared to do difficult.