Introduction
Construction in the capital is undergoing a significant transformation. London’s new build commercial and residential pipeline has decreased by almost 30% year on year, with just 223,000 square metres of new office space delivered in the six months to March 2025*.
Traditional approaches to new build are increasingly giving way to retrofit and repurpose strategies that bring together sustainability, heritage and commercial priorities. Kier is at the forefront of this shift, delivering projects that show how complex buildings can be revitalised to meet the evolving demands of London’s market.
The London and Thames Valley roundtable brought together leaders from construction, architecture, design, property development, engineering and client organisations to examine the challenges, opportunities and innovations in retrofit and repurpose. Participants explored how the sector can balance commercial ambition with carbon responsibility, manage complex risk and scale solutions across the built environment.
*Arcadis’ UK Market View Autumn 2025 report, via Construction News
The built environment is at a critical juncture. Over the last decade, London, and the construction market more broadly, has shifted from new build towards retrofit and cut and carve solutions, driven by planning constraints, sustainability targets and the need to maximise the value of existing assets. Kier is leading this transition, applying our expertise to complex, high-profile projects that deliver both commercial performance and environmental responsibility.
This roundtable brought together industry leaders to explore how we can innovate, collaborate and scale best practice, ensuring London’s built environment is ready for the challenges and opportunities of the decade ahead."
The roundtable concluded with a collective call for change. Attendees emphasised the need for policy reforms, including VAT adjustments to make retrofit more financially attractive than new build, alongside greater early-stage collaboration. Embedding whole-life carbon thinking into all projects and sharing lessons through industry-wide frameworks were identified as critical measures to enable the scaling of retrofit delivery across London.
Participants were also invited to share one change they would like to see over the next decade, resulting in practical insights ranging from planning reform, material reuse, workforce development and more collaborative delivery frameworks. The discussion closed with a strong, unified message - ongoing engagement, knowledge sharing and innovation are essential to transforming London’s built environment, making it greener, more sustainable and better prepared for the challenges of the future.
Policy and finance are critical. Without planning flexibility and the ability to unlock value, many retrofit schemes simply will not move forward."
The market is moving fast and we have to be ready. Experience is critical, but much of it has been lost as people retire. We need new talent coming through and a collective system for retrofit that captures the right answers and helps us tackle projects together."
Retrofit and cut and carve now dominate London’s construction activity
Early, collaborative risk-sharing is critical to mitigating uncertainty and delivering successful outcomes
Knowledge sharing and transparency remain significant gaps in the sector
Innovation must be supported by confidence, enabling policy and scalable frameworks
Sustainability and whole-life carbon thinking must remain central to every project decision
Innovative materials and methods are vital, but confidence is still a barrier. We need a shift in mentality where trialling new approaches on part of a building becomes normal, with lessons shared openly. Cut and carve is different every time, so there is no single rulebook – but collaboration and experimentation will stop us having the same conversations in five years’ time."
We need to design for whole life from the very start. That means thinking about circularity and deconstruction, using material passports, and treating buildings as material banks. Early collaboration to set the right targets is essential, with the right people around the table as soon as possible."
Kier is a leading provider of infrastructure services, construction and property developments, committed to delivering for communities and leaving a lasting legacy through our work.
At the core of our project delivery is technical excellence, underpinned by our in-house design and engineering capability. Using the latest construction techniques, digital tools and carbon and community resilience strategies, our ability to innovate ensures we offer best value to our clients.
Kier’s 360 approach was a recurring theme of the roundtable. By uniting design, engineering, digital and construction expertise in-house, Kier supports clients across the whole lifecycle of a building or asset. Participants heard how Kier is an expert in change of use and building conversion projects within live environments, achieving minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.
This integrated model reflects the systems thinking needed to meet London’s retrofit and repurpose challenge at pace and scale, helping projects move forward with greater certainty, efficiency and long-term value.
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