Refurbishment: Why It’s Rising and Why Glencar Is Investing in It

Refurbishment: Why It’s Rising — and Why Glencar Is Investing in It

Building refurbishment has rapidly become one of the most important growth areas in UK construction. With the demand for commercial office space growing in the post Covid climate and sustainability targets tightening, planning pressures increasing and land availability limited, transforming existing buildings is now often the most effective way for asset owners to unlock value.

While Glencar is widely recognised for our strength in Industrial & Logistics, our teams also deliver across Life Sciences, Data Centres, Ports & Maritime, Film Studios, Retail, Commercial and Special Projects. That multi-sector expertise is exactly what makes us well-suited to complex refurbishment and reconfiguration projects.

Why is Refurbishment Booming

Sustainability and Net Zero

Refurbishing rather than rebuilding significantly reduces embodied carbon and waste. As ESG expectations increase, refurbishing existing stock is becoming the preferred route for investors and occupiers alike. The tightening of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards means delaying refurbishing existing assets to compliance levels may result in unlettable buildings if action isn’t taken to upgrade.

Time to market

Setting cost aside, building new facilities takes time. Planning, party wall agreements and infrastructure upgrades associated with new build projects all delay bringing the asset to market. Refurbishments bypass many of these obstacles and return speedier profits. Reconfiguring existing assets provides a faster, more predictable pathway to delivering modern, high-performing buildings.

Retail Repositioning

Retail continues to evolve. Large single-use units are being adapted for multi-use formats, hybrid warehousing, community spaces and enhanced back-of-house operations. The evolving retail market is seeing big names move back into City Centres and adapting existing assets gives landlords the flexibility to respond.

Rising Occupier Expectations

Tenants across all sectors now expect higher specifications. In competitive letting markets the excellence of space is key to attracting good quality, long term tenants.  New more efficient M&E systems, improved servicing arrangements, enhanced façades and upgraded structural performance all allows assets to meet today’s standards without the cost or disruption of full redevelopment.

How Glencar Adds Value

1. Multi-Sector Technical Expertise

Because we deliver in highly technical environments – including life sciences, data centres and logistics – we bring that same engineering rigour to refurbishment. This includes structural alterations, controlled demolitions, complex M&E integration and façade upgrades.

2. Multi discipline capability

At Glencar, our extensive experience in all aspects of construction elements mean we have capability to tackle every aspect of major refurbishment works. From heavy structural alterations, through to envelope upgrades and ultimately finished fit out, we offer turnkey solutions along with all the supporting functions needed on the project journey, many of which are in-house.

3. Proven Capability in Live Environments

Many refurbishments must be completed while parts of the building remain operational. Our experience managing logistics, safety and sequencing in live, high-activity settings makes us well-equipped for these challenges.

4. Early Contractor Involvement

Refurbishment schemes with structural alterations benefit from early engineering input. We work collaboratively with developers, designers and consultants to optimise phasing, structural solutions and buildability – reducing risk and improving cost certainty.

5. Sustainability at the Core

Our teams support low-carbon strategies through façade retention, envelope upgrades, embodied carbon modelling, and EPC/BREEAM optimization, helping clients meet regulatory and investor expectations.

Looking Ahead

Refurbishment is set to play a major role in reshaping the UK’s built environment over the next decade. For asset owners, it offers a sustainable, commercially attractive way to modernise underperforming buildings and respond to evolving occupier needs.

At Glencar, we’re committed to helping clients realise the full potential of their assets – combining technical capability, multi-sector experience and a collaborative approach to deliver refurbishment projects that are future-ready.

To learn more about how we can support your next project, contact our Special Projects lead Neil Johnstone via Neil.Johnstone@glencar.com