Brookfield and WSP launch first green retrofit JV

Brookfield, WSP and Woods Bagot have teamed up to create a green retrofitting business that is believed to be the first venture of its kind in the UK.

The collaboration between the contractor, consultant and architect, known as Brookfield Green, will tap into the lucrative commercial retrofitting market, estimated to be worth more than £10bn a year.

A source close to Brookfield said: “This is the first of its kind. It’s a very exciting project and it’s going to be potentially enormous.”

The company has already completed five designs on large commercial buildings for major property owners, although work has not begun on site. “Some clients have hundreds of buildings,” the source said, explaining it was too early to know how much business it would do in a year.

Another source close to the venture confirmed that three of the designs had been completed for “one main London-based developer client”.

The new company was registered on 23 July, but details are being kept under wraps while the business plan is finalised.

David Strong, chief executive of sustainable building consultancy Inbuilt, said the commercial green retrofitting market was worth “in excess of £10bn” a year.

“Any contractor that doesn’t focus on existing stock is doomed because the volume of new build is likely to be so low,” he said.

He added: “Given the extent of the opportunities that are emerging, the probability is that there will be more joint ventures.”

John Alker, director of policy and communications at the UK Green Building Council, said the volume of work would grow over the next decade if the government tightened building regulations.

“All the main contractors will be hoping it forms a greater part of their work as things like Building Schools for the Future dry up. Things like the carbon reduction commitment are beginning to have an effect,” he said.