Futurebuild 2026

As debates continue about technical priorities in retrofit, this fireside panel takes a step back to ask a more fundamental question: what needs to be in place for retrofit to succeed at scale?
This session argues that social fabric is not a “nice to have”, but a critical foundation for effective retrofit. Drawing on academic research, lived experience, and real-world practice, the discussion will explore why lasting change only happens when people and communities are genuinely involved in decisions that affect their homes and lives.
Rather than framing retrofit as a choice between technical solutions and social considerations, the panel will examine how governance, agency, trust, and community capacity create the conditions in which fabric improvements, from first to fifth and everything in between, can actually happen and endure.
Set against the pressures of decarbonising the UK housing stock, rising housing insecurity, mental health challenges, and climate resilience, the conversation will address a key challenge: if communities are not empowered to participate meaningfully, retrofit will struggle to scale to meet the moment.
Join Sara and Carl for an honest, practical discussion on:
What “social innovation” really means in the context of retrofit
Why community agency and governance matter as much as technical performance
How social and technical approaches can and must work together
This is not an either/or conversation. It’s about understanding how social and technical systems need to align to deliver retrofit that works for people, places, and the climate.