The next wave of finalists are here for the Housing Executive Awards, and this time it’s your shortlist for the Best Retrofit Initiative!
The finalists for the Best Retrofit Initiative are:
AECB: The AECB works with members to inspire, develop and share sustainable building practice. AECB Standards are a key pillar of the deployment of environmentally responsible building practices and the creation of sustainable low energy, low carbon buildings, with several Standards that each give building professionals and housing providers alike flexibility in helping the country to reach net zero targets.
First Choice Homes Oldham: First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) has delivered one of the region’s most ambitious retrofit programmes, boosting the energy efficiency of 350 homes and transforming the lives of hundreds of residents across Oldham.
Investing £5.4 million (comprised of a £2.4 million SHDF Wave 2 grant and £3 million of its own funds), the initiative focused on properties with EPC ratings below C and is among the third largest SHDF (Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund) schemes in Greater Manchester.
ARC Building Solutions: ARC unveiled the Retrofit Eaves Insulator (REI) in 2024. This breakthrough innovation addresses the perennial challenge of heat loss at the eaves junction and is a key product in combatting damp and mould, while also delivering lower heating costs, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and, most importantly, healthier homes—without costly, disruptive renovations.
Aico & Wolverhampton Homes: As a key participant in the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2.1 and 2.2, Wolverhampton Homes has taken an innovative and resident-first approach to retrofit delivery, placing tenant wellbeing, environmental performance, and long-term sustainability at the heart of its work.
By partnering with Aico to implement the cutting-edge HomeLINK Connected Home Solution, Wolverhampton Homes is demonstrating how digital technology, proactive engagement, and collaborative working can set new standards in retrofit best practice.
Purdy: With their transformational Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund project in Chichester, Purdy, now part of Sureserve have delivered life-changing improvements to 250 homes whilst pioneering collaborative approaches that benefit the entire social housing sector.
ECD Architects & Ore Valley Housing Association: Situated on the site of the former Bowhill Miners’ Institute in Cardenden, ECD’s Bowhill Housing Development provides high-quality, energy-efficient homes while honouring the town’s coal-mining legacy. Led by Ore Valley Housing Association, the project balances the restoration of a key community heritage asset with new build social rented properties, helping to provide a sustainable solution to address housing shortages within the area.
Corksol: Under the leadership of Joff Ward, CorkSol Contracting has delivered a retrofit project with Wheatley Group in Edinburgh that provides measurable results, tenant-focused benefits, and a replicable solution for some of the most challenging housing stock in the UK.
