Whether it’s restoring a building back to its former condition, improving the use of the space for its users or improving the appearance of a building, through refurbishment a building or space can be ‘brought back to life’ and, in turn refurbishment is therefore a key mechanism to achieving a circular economy.
A great example of this is City, University of London. Working with Thorn in 2017, a refurbishment of their facility resulted in a stylish installation, with maximum performance, low maintenance and high energy savings.
Working closely with Halsion Building Services Engineers, the lighting scheme was transformed as part of the project resulting in an eye-catching, modern installation that worked in harmony with the newly refreshed facility they were looking to introduce. This project was a replacement for T8/T5 Luminaires (see point 4. Lamp phase out for more on T8/T5) and saw the project gain energy savings of up to 67%.
Ingo Braun, Design Director at NBBJ said: ‘‘By upgrading this iconic brutalist building and removing some of the accretions of past decades we’ve given it a new lease of life and secured its future within City, University of London’s main campus, opening it up to a growing and changing audience. The new entrance and route through the building has transformed the building and underlines City, University of London’s position as a leading, global institution."