UKGBC announces new innovation initiative with Breakthrough Energy and FORE Partnership

A new initiative between UKGBC, developer FORE Partnership and Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy, will see the refurbishment of an iconic Grade II* listed London building turned into a live showcase for innovative retrofit solutions.

In an industry first, One Poultry, one of the City of London’s landmark buildings and the last designed by celebrated British architect James Stirling, will be used to demonstrate how sustainable innovative solutions might be used on a commercial retrofit project.

By making those solutions visible to other project teams and the wider industry, it is hoped that One Poultry inspires other retrofit projects across the United Kingdom, embedding innovative sustainability solutions across industry at greater speed and scale.

Located in the heart of London’s Square Mile, One Poultry sits opposite the Bank of England and was constructed in 1997. Renowned for its postmodernist architecture, the 150,000 sq ft property currently houses retailers, offices and a rooftop restaurant. Much of the building’s interior has remained unchanged since the 1990s, and with the building becoming more inefficient and costly to operate, One Poultry’s asset manager, IGIS Asset Management, appointed FORE Partnership to oversee the building’s redevelopment.

The new initiative aims to tackle systemic challenges of retrofitting commercial buildings by embedding innovation within the retrofit strategy, spotlighting innovators from RIBA Stage 0, the concept design phase. FORE Partnership offers extensive low-carbon retrofit experience, while the UKGBC, a champion for innovation, brings its sustainability knowledge, convening power and systems-thinking approach. Breakthrough Energy, through its venture fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures, has a portfolio of more than 120 innovative companies and brings its technology expertise and network to the initiative. The project is due to start on-site in September and complete in 2027.

This new initiative will:

• Create a new ‘Innovation Map’ for commercial retrofit, highlighting the anatomy of a retrofit and hundreds of associated innovative solutions which can be integrated into refurbishment processes, from building materials to retrofit planning platforms and water efficiency devices to solar technologies. It will increase visibility and awareness of cutting-edge solutions, support with design decision-making for project teams and encourage wider adoption.
• Aim to demonstrate better operational and embodied carbon outcomes by early engagement with innovators, resulting in a more integrated approach to low-carbon design. By targeting EPC A and net zero carbon regulated energy, while maximising circularity and minimising whole life carbon, the One Poultry retrofit will show how the project can be designed around innovative solutions, rather than specifying them at the end of the procurement process.
• Explore the technical and financial viability of applied solutions and report on insights gained through the innovation implementation process.

Brian Mayers, partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, said: “Retrofitting an iconic building like One Poultry is an exciting chance to bring cutting-edge technology and new ideas into a space full of history. By starting with innovation at the core, we’re showing how these buildings can become models for sustainability and inspire others to do the same. We’re proud to be part of this partnership that’s turning a historic landmark into a live laboratory for what’s possible in sustainable development.”

Emily-Rose Garnett, senior advisor on solutions and innovation at UKGBC, said: “The built environment faces many barriers when it comes to innovation adoption, including fragmentation, lack of early engagement, complex procurement structures, cost uncertainty and limited risk appetite. Only through achieving scale of implementation will we radically transform our built environment towards a more sustainable future.”

Simon McWhirter, Chief Executive of UKGBC added: “This is exactly the sort of project we want to see blossoming – where we’re using UKGBC’s convening power to bring industry, innovation and philanthropy together in a project in the real world. Like our work alongside UK cities, delivering large scale housing retrofit programmes on the ground, this project can act as a fulcrum for much deeper change over time.”

Basil Demeroutis, managing partner of FORE Partnership, said: “This is ground-breaking as it flips procurement on its head, starting with the products and solutions we are putting into the building first and designing around those, rather than specifying them at the end of the procurement process or leaving it to the contractors, which is often too late and ignores the valuable contribution that can come from a systems-led approach.

“We are thrilled to have launched this initiative, pulling together a venture capital/innovator, with a real estate developer and a leading industry organisation. We hope that this project is the first of many, raising awareness of advanced technological options for commercial buildings and creating and disseminating a model for innovation-first retrofits.”