The International Retrofit Conference | 6 Nov
Scaling Solutions: A Viable Path to a Sustainable Future
85% of the building that will exist in 2050 have already been built. The challenge is clear, without rapid, coordinated action the UK will be left behind and miss its climate and energy targets. The question isn’t if we need to retrofit, it’s how we make it happen at scale, speed and low cost.
For three years, the International Retrofit Conference has been a platform for the industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to come together and discuss the possibility. In 2025, we're cutting through the noise to tackle the real barriers of large scale retrofit.
The International Retrofit Conference 2025 will provide:
Case studies of what works, what fails and why.
Opposing perspectivities to determine what really delivers impact.
Real facts on standards, costs and performance.
Join us in 2025 to shape the future of retrofit and unlock the potential of our built environment.
Let’s retrofit the right way together.
Meet our speakers
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Professor David Glew, Director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute
KEYNOTE
David is the Director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University, where he manages and oversees interdisciplinary projects and supervises doctoral students, across the institute's three research themes of Sustainable Behaviour, Sustainable Buildings and Sustainable Urban Environments. David has led major Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) research projects for the UK Government to investigate performance gaps and unintended consequences of new low carbon buildings and retrofits, including his most research project, the Demonstration of Energy Efficiency Potential or DEEP retrofit research project, which was the largest project of its kind looking at how to make retrofits in solid walled homes effective and safe.
David's team are specialists in BPE field testing of products and processes, and undertake a range of methods including the coheating test, QUB tests, air leakage detection, air tightness assessments, in use monitoring of energy and smart meter data and indoor air quality, modelling to assess energy use in buildings (including Energy Performance Certificates), and to perform damp and mould risk assessments. His team also explore the potential of behaviour change techniques to encourage healthier or more sustainable choices and understand occupant experiences in homes.
David is an established expert in retrofit evaluation and holds various positions at academic, industry and policy organisations, he is on the Board of the Good Homes Alliance, and a Pioneer member of the Building Performance Network, he sits on OFGEM's Technical Advisory Panel for innovation in ECO, and he is Associate Editor for the Journal Buildings and Cities.
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Rachael Owens, Co director, National Retrofit Hub
KEYNOTE
Rachael is an architect and has experience designing and delivering commercial and residential retrofit projects. Her previous role was at Buckley Gray Yeoman, a practice that champions retrofit and adaptive reuse, where she led the response to sustainable and regenerative design, supporting projects to develop and implement strategies to reduce embodied carbon, material use, operational energy and to enhance biodiversity and user wellbeing.
Rachael sits on the New London Architecture Retrofit and Conservation expert panel and is a WELL accredited professional. She was named 2021 RIBA Journal Rising Star for her work in practice to communicate sustainable design and within the Architects Climate Action Network to campaign for the regulation of embodied carbon emissions.
In 2023 she joined the RIBA Stirling Prize jury as the sustainability expert and in 2024, she won the AJ100 Sustainability Leader of the Year award. -
Caitriona Jordan, Associate Director of Retrofit & Energy Efficiency, BE-ST
HOST
Caitriona is the Head of Retrofit Programmes is responsible for the implementation, oversight and delivery of retrofit programmes to accelerate the built environments transition to zero carbon.
Caitriona has well established networks within the connected ecosystem and is a chartered Architect who worked in the Built Environment education sector for almost 10 years with City of Glasgow College.
Since joining BE-ST in 2021 Caitriona has led Low Carbon Learning, Scotland’s first national Passivhaus, retrofit and fabric first training programme which has upskilled over 3,000 delegates to date.
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Gerry Cummins, Director, Clark Contracts
SPEAKER
Gerry is a Director at Clark Contracts, the privately owned main contractor established in 1978, and leads the company’s Fit Out and Small Works divisions.
He joined the business as a graduate in 2004 and has since progressed through a range of senior roles, including Quantity Surveyor, Commercial Manager, and Business Unit Manager, before becoming a Shareholder and Director in 2013.
With over 20 years of industry experience, Gerry has a proven track record in delivering high-quality, fast-track projects and developing long-term client relationships. He is a strong advocate for innovation, continuous improvement, and sustainability across all aspects of project delivery.
Under his leadership, the Fit Out Division, specialising in internal refurbishment, successfully delivered the major retrofit of Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre (SNRC) for Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST).
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Barbara Lantschner, Associate Director, John Gilbert Architects
SPEAKER
Barbara is an Associate Director and PassivHaus Designer at John Gilbert Architects. With experience across the UK, Asia, and South America, she brings a global perspective and a deep understanding of the built environment. She also serves as a board member at People Powered Retrofit and lectures part-time at the University of Strathclyde.
At JGA, Barbara leads work on deep retrofit and decarbonisation strategies for both domestic and non-domestic buildings. In this project, she was responsible for developing and overseeing retrofit strategies, including EnerPHit consultancy, to deliver high-performance and ‘real-world’ low-carbon outcomes.
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Cormac Wright, Regional Sales Manager, NIBE
SPEAKER
Cormac Wright graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a BEng in Building Design Engineering. They spent 20 years working for manufacturers in the building industry, including 15 years focused on the heating sector.
Cormac has been with NIBE for the past two years, contributing to pioneering projects such as Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre. There, NIBE delivered the UK’s first zero carbon emissions heating system, combining ground and air source heat pumps with photovoltaic-thermal panels and smart controls.
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Davinder Lota, Architect, John Gilbert Architects
SPEAKER
Davinder is an architect at John Gilbert Architects with a 15-year international career spanning roles in Amsterdam, Montreal, and London. Now based in Glasgow, Davinder served as the architect for the recently completed first phase of the EnerPHit retrofit of BE-ST’s office space.
With a diverse portfolio that includes private residential, ecclesiastical, commercial, and refurbishment projects, Davinder specialises in project delivery and has significant experience managing complex construction processes. In this particular project, she led the team through the construction phase, ensuring successful delivery of this critical sustainable retrofit.
Afternoon workshops
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Shaping Scotland’s Retrofit Knowledge Hub
1.30-2.30pm
In partnership with The Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings (CeNZ-HighDB), Retrofit Scotland will be relaunching a case study library and knowledge hub, building on the rich work already done and looking ahead to the next phase of innovation.
Join us for a collaborative workshop led by CeNZ-HighDB partners, focused on shaping this knowledge hub of retrofit case studies
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From Pilot to Portfolio: Financing Retrofit at Scale
1.30-2.30pm
This panel will explore how retrofit can move beyond isolated pilots to become financeable, scalable programmes. Through case studies, we’ll examine approaches ranging from replicating single projects, to managing portfolios, to enabling delivery at a city-wide scale.
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Inside the Rig: Exploring the CITB Low Carbon Passport Through Practical Demonstration
1.30-2.30pm or 3-4pm
Experience the Low Carbon Passport project in action with this hands-on, small-group demonstration session. Tailored for construction professionals and those training at SCQF Level 6, this hour-long workshop will offer a dynamic and tactile introduction to the project’s approach to skills development.
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WikiHouse: Sustainable Building Made Simple
1.30-2.30pm or 3-4pm
In this practical, hands-on session, you’ll get to explore WikiHouse, a low-carbon, modular building system that can be digitally fabricated from locally grown timber and natural insulation.
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Circular Construction Finance
3-4pm
Join Zero Waste Scotland for our workshop where you will be able learn about the CirCoFin project and participate in discussions which will contribute to findings for the wider project.
Exhibitors
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Carbon Futures
Carbon Futures are independent energy and sustainability consultants with a passion for building performance and a desire to support the decarbonisation of the built environment.
Their team of industry experts carry out detailed modelling and analysis to maximise building performance and promote best practice solutions across various industry sectors.
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Ecological Building Systems
The ethos at Ecological Building Systems is to achieve 'Better Building' by adopting a 'Fabric First' approach to design, with the use of more natural materials to optimise building performance and durability. They research, stock, and supply high-performance sustainable products with unrivalled technical support. Although they are not installers, they offer comprehensive training on all the products supplied.
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Geovation Scotland
Geovation sits at the heart of the geospatial ecosystem, connecting industry challenges with startup solutions. They believe in open innovation and the positive impact it can have on people, planet and profit.
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IES
IES is a global climate tech company delivering innovative software solutions and consultancy services to decarbonise the built environment. Over the last 30 years, we have built a solid reputation as the leading global innovator in integrated performance-based building analysis through our flagship IESVE software and expanded range of digital twin tools. We are also home to the largest building physics analytics team in the world. Supporting energy-efficient, healthy and cost-effective built environments, IES technology provides those involved in the design, retrofit and operation of buildings with the information needed to make smarter, more sustainable decisions with confidence.
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Iso Chemie GmbH
Iso Chemie GmbH have been a manufacturer of energy-efficient and sustainable sealing solutions and technical foams for almost five decades. Their products can be used in energy-efficient construction, both in new buildings and in the energy-efficient refurbishment of old buildings.
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IndiNature
IndiNature is a UK-based manufacturer of high-performance bio-based insulation made from UK-grown industrial hemp. While conventional insulation may lower operational carbon, it often has a high embodied carbon cost due to petrochemical content and energy-intensive production. By contrast, IndiNature’s products are made from UK-grown hemp and sequester more carbon than they emit, offering a carbon-negative alternative and helping to shift the building sector toward a healthier, more climate-resilient future.
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Narro
Narro is an employee-owned Consulting Structural & Civil Engineers with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Inverness, Aberdeen, Newcastle and London. The Practice was established in 1986 with the aim of providing a high-quality service to our clients and partners, delivered by committed and experienced staff.
The team has a keen interest in delivering sustainable solutions and considers the whole-life implications of any design project.
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NIBE
NIBE is a global leader in energy-efficient climate solutions for homes and buildings. Founded in Markaryd, Sweden, the company has over 70 years of experience in combining renewable energy with cutting-edge technology to create innovative heating and cooling solutions. From heat pumps to smart home integrations, NIBE’s products are designed to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and enhance comfort for households worldwide.
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NorDan
NorDan, established in 1926 by Danish wheelwright Johannes Rasmussen in Moi, Norway, began as a modest joinery workshop producing windows, doors, and stairs. Over nearly a century, it has evolved into one of Europe's leading manufacturers of windows, doors, and smart accessories, remaining a family-owned business throughout its history.
Today, NorDan’s products are sold in markets across Scandinavia, The United Kingdom, and Ireland, providing about 700,000 windows and doors a year.
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Scottish National Investment Bank
The Bank was launched in November 2020 as a development investment bank, delivering mission impact investment to the Scottish economy. The Bank provides patient capital to businesses and projects throughout Scotland to support the development of a fairer, more sustainable economy.
The Bank's ambition is to not only invest its allocated public capital, but to encourage additional private capital to invest alongside it, to support the delivery of our missions.
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The Smart Direct Electric Heating Form (SDEHF)
The Smart Direct Electric Heating Form (SDEHF) is the UK trade forum representing organisations that design, manufacture, distribute, specify and install direct electric heating products and associated services.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the major advantages of direct electric heating, with a particular focus on the significant benefits it can deliver in the social housing sector.
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Valorem First
Valorem First are on a mission to deliver exceptional digital transformation and technology solutions that drive real business value. Since their launch in early 2023, they’ve been helping organisations navigate the complexities of modern technology to achieve operational excellence.
They believe in building trusted partnerships with their clients, working collaboratively to understand their unique challenges and deliver tailored solutions that drive sustainable growth and success.
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Zero Waste Scotland
Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland’s circular economy public body, working with government, business, and communities to rewire the economy from our current “take, make, waste” model to one where we make the most of the materials we have. A zero waste, circular economy is the right choice - for people, planet and prosperity.
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