Breadcrumb

Refurbishment and Fit Out Excellence finalists

This category commends projects that have transformed existing buildings through sustainable refurbishment or fit out, demonstrating measurable improvements and creative use of BREEAM. The summaries below, developed from finalist submissions and edited for clarity and consistency, highlight key approaches to improving performance and extending building life through sustainable interventions. 

Infinito Delicias  
Transforming Madrid's industrial heritage into a sustainable community hub 

Infinito Delicias demonstrates exceptional rehabilitation of a disused 1963 industrial building in Madrid's Arganzuela district into a 2,893m² mixed-use office and community space. Achieving BREEAM ES New Construction Outstanding (89.12%) at design stage, the project retained the entire existing structure and façade, reducing embodied carbon while delivering over 75% energy reduction, 70% CO₂ savings, and 58% water consumption decrease. Innovative features include geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning, Forestry Stewardship Council-certified bioclimatic timber façade, rainwater harvesting, and extensive biodiversity enhancement, proving rehabilitation can exceed new-build sustainability standards. 

Madrid office building

Infinito Delicias  
Transforming Madrid's industrial heritage into a sustainable community hub 

Infinito Delicias demonstrates exceptional rehabilitation of a disused 1963 industrial building in Madrid's Arganzuela district into a 2,893m² mixed-use office and community space. Achieving BREEAM ES New Construction Outstanding (89.12%) at design stage, the project retained the entire existing structure and façade, reducing embodied carbon while delivering over 75% energy reduction, 70% CO₂ savings, and 58% water consumption decrease. Innovative features include geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning, Forestry Stewardship Council-certified bioclimatic timber façade, rainwater harvesting, and extensive biodiversity enhancement, proving rehabilitation can exceed new-build sustainability standards. 

Lambeth palace

Lambeth Palace 
Historic palace transformation sets new standard for heritage decarbonisation 

Lambeth Palace, the Grade I listed London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, underwent a £40m refurbishment achieving BREEAM Excellent with a 74% score. The project delivered a 77% reduction in primary energy use, improving the EPC rating from G to A while respecting 800 years of heritage. Key innovations included installing air source heat pumps, 160 double-glazed windows, and photovoltaic panels, demonstrating that historic buildings can lead the Church of England's 2030 net zero ambitions without compromising architectural significance. 

Lambeth Palace 
Historic palace transformation sets new standard for heritage decarbonisation 

Lambeth Palace, the Grade I listed London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, underwent a £40m refurbishment achieving BREEAM Excellent with a 74% score. The project delivered a 77% reduction in primary energy use, improving the EPC rating from G to A while respecting 800 years of heritage. Key innovations included installing air source heat pumps, 160 double-glazed windows, and photovoltaic panels, demonstrating that historic buildings can lead the Church of England's 2030 net zero ambitions without compromising architectural significance. 

abrera park

P3 Abrera Park 
Spain's highest-scoring BREEAM Outstanding refurbishment sets new benchmark for sustainable logistics 

This comprehensive refurbishment of a 2001 industrial warehouse in Abrera, Barcelona transformed a 20,323m² logistics facility into Spain's highest-scoring BREEAM Outstanding project at 97.76%. Rather than demolish, the project retained the existing structure, achieving 100% operational carbon reduction in offices, 62.76% water savings, and 97.10% construction waste diversion. Integrating photovoltaic generation, native landscaping, and preparation for WELL Gold certification, it demonstrates how deep refurbishment can deliver new-build performance while significantly reducing embodied carbon. 

P3 Abrera Park 
Spain's highest-scoring BREEAM Outstanding refurbishment sets new benchmark for sustainable logistics 

This comprehensive refurbishment of a 2001 industrial warehouse in Abrera, Barcelona transformed a 20,323m² logistics facility into Spain's highest-scoring BREEAM Outstanding project at 97.76%. Rather than demolish, the project retained the existing structure, achieving 100% operational carbon reduction in offices, 62.76% water savings, and 97.10% construction waste diversion. Integrating photovoltaic generation, native landscaping, and preparation for WELL Gold certification, it demonstrates how deep refurbishment can deliver new-build performance while significantly reducing embodied carbon. 

workplace

PriceWaterhouseCoopers (One Station Hill, Reading) 
Exceptional refurbishment delivers outstanding sustainability in Reading office space 

This 20,000 square foot workplace refurbishment across two floors at One Station Hill, Reading in the UK achieved BREEAM Outstanding with an exceptional 94.6% score. PwC's offices demonstrate exemplary resource efficiency through extensive reuse of existing systems, diverting 98.14% of construction waste from landfill. The project delivered a 42% improvement in water consumption, exceptional indoor air quality, and comprehensive circularity measures — including relocating 57 fan coil units to PwC's Cardiff office. Outstanding performance across health, wellbeing and materials categories showcases how thoughtful refurbishment can exceed new-build sustainability standards. 

PriceWaterhouseCoopers (One Station Hill, Reading) 
Exceptional refurbishment delivers outstanding sustainability in Reading office space 

This 20,000 square foot workplace refurbishment across two floors at One Station Hill, Reading in the UK achieved BREEAM Outstanding with an exceptional 94.6% score. PwC's offices demonstrate exemplary resource efficiency through extensive reuse of existing systems, diverting 98.14% of construction waste from landfill. The project delivered a 42% improvement in water consumption, exceptional indoor air quality, and comprehensive circularity measures — including relocating 57 fan coil units to PwC's Cardiff office. Outstanding performance across health, wellbeing and materials categories showcases how thoughtful refurbishment can exceed new-build sustainability standards. 

The Royal Mint (Pacheco) 
Transforming Brussels' industrial heritage into a sustainable office landmark 

The Royal Mint in Brussels exemplifies circular refurbishment excellence, converting a 1970s sealed industrial building into a 10,300m² BREEAM Outstanding office (90.4%). By retaining 81% of the concrete structure and 62% of the granite façade, the project avoided 25,000 tonnes of raw material extraction. A dramatic central atrium transformation enabled natural ventilation, reducing operational carbon by 66%. Combined with 259 kWp on-site renewables and Brussels Passive Standard performance, this heritage-constrained project proves that adaptive reuse can surpass new-build efficiency while preserving architectural legacy. 

the royal mint

The Royal Mint (Pacheco) 
Transforming Brussels' industrial heritage into a sustainable office landmark 

The Royal Mint in Brussels exemplifies circular refurbishment excellence, converting a 1970s sealed industrial building into a 10,300m² BREEAM Outstanding office (90.4%). By retaining 81% of the concrete structure and 62% of the granite façade, the project avoided 25,000 tonnes of raw material extraction. A dramatic central atrium transformation enabled natural ventilation, reducing operational carbon by 66%. Combined with 259 kWp on-site renewables and Brussels Passive Standard performance, this heritage-constrained project proves that adaptive reuse can surpass new-build efficiency while preserving architectural legacy.