Retrofit Plus Architecture

Retrofit+ Architecture was born from a set of sustainable and ethical principles about the spaces we use every day. Our work is based around helping people love and look after the buildings they spend time in.

Our approach is based on the Passivhaus fabric first principles, supported by minimalist design interventions and a robust moisture and ventilation management strategy. We work predominantly with natural materials to achieve high quality, tactile finishes. The design process we use ensures that buildings are well insulated and ventilated, as well as bathed in natural light.

The practice was formed by Maria, who is architecturally trained at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and dedicated to making the built environment more sustainable. We believe the best architecture is collaborative and therefore we include our clients throughout the design process.

Maria has a love for helping to bring new life to existing buildings. She is a trained Retrofit Coordinator and one of the expert authors of the AECB CarbonLite™ Retrofit Coordination Course. She works with clients and other construction professionals to help retrofit buildings across the UK.

We work at a range of scales from strategic retrofit frameworks to smaller-scale architectural interventions, such as extensions, whole house retrofits and redesigning layouts. The focus of our projects varies based on the client’s needs, but we generally focus on:

• protection and enhancement of the natural environment and architectural heritage (be it protected by the law or not)
• making buildings more thermally comfortable and airtight
• reducing the carbon footprint
• reducing the risk of overheating
• solving condensation, damp and mould issues
• integration of energy efficient measures with other improvements or design work