The practice said the move allows its architects to deliver retrofit co-ordinator, designer and assessor roles as defined in the PAS2035 British Standard.

Retrofit is vitally important to the UK. By 2050, dwellings that exist today will make up 80% of the UK stock. To reach net zero by 2045, most of these homes will need to be retrofitted with energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heat systems.

Retrofit is also vitally important to reducing embodied carbon emissions. Re-using a building is many times more carbon efficient than demolition and building new. Retaining an existing structure prevents the end-of-life emissions from demolition, as well as removing the emissions associated with creating new materials from virgin sources and assembling them into new structures.

ABC director and PAS2035 retrofit co-ordinator, Jonathan McQuillan, said: “PAS2035 represents whole house solutions backed by the Trust Mark scheme. Our talented architects are best placed to lead on retrofit processes, with years of experience leading design teams and delivering comprehensive solutions on site.”