Developing a knowledge management framework to promote sustainable social housing refurbishment practices

In the UK, new builds add, at most, 1% per year to existing building stock, representing a microcosm of the total stock. To achieve the government’s ambitious carbon emission reduction targets over the next decade the existing stock must therefore be treated as a priority. However, sustainable refurbishment practices remain underdeveloped and relatively limited, particularly within the social housing sector. Despite its recognized capacity for innovation, this sector has not implemented sustainable principles at the core of its refurbishment practices despite changes in public procurement designed to encourage such principles.