After closing during the 2020 lockdown, Civic House underwent a Passivhaus retrofit – which includes our roof of solar panels, external wall insulation, triple glazed windows, and a world-class mechanical heat recovery system. The building of Civic House has stood strong for 100 years, this project will ensure its life long into the future.

Renovating an existing structure is proven to be far more environmentally beneficial than tearing it down. The UK’s construction industry accounts for 35-40% of the country’s CO2 emissions. Currently, it takes between 10 and 80 years for the benefits of a new energy-efficient building to compensate for the carbon emissions incurred during its construction.

Demolishing existing buildings is also damaging on social and economic grounds – something we’re all well aware of in Glasgow, that has long suffered from the effects of vacant and derelict land.

Our ambition is that Civic House, Scotland’s first retrofit #PassivWareHaus, creates a case study to demonstrate the potential for post-industrial spaces to be energy positive and beautiful public spaces.