Innovation in Action: Reflections from No 1 Poultry
Earlier this month, we joined UKGBC, FORE Partnership, and Breakthrough Energy at No 1 Poultry in London for the launch of the Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map — a new tool designed to accelerate low-carbon retrofit across the UK’s commercial building stock.
The event brought together a full house of industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers, all focused on one thing: how to make retrofit smarter, faster, and more impactful. It was refreshing to see innovation placed at the centre of the conversation — not as a bolt-on, but as the starting point.
A Live Demonstration of What’s Possible
The No 1 Poultry building is being used as a live testbed for the roadmap — showcasing how early-stage engagement with solution providers can unlock better outcomes. From circular design principles to low-carbon materials and smart systems, the project is a real-world example of what happens when we rethink the retrofit process from the ground up.
This approach mirrors our own philosophy at Natural Building Systems: start with the system, not the symptom.
Natural Building Systems: Ready to Scale
Through our ADEPT® system, we’re already delivering low-carbon, modular buildings across the UK — in both public and private sectors. Our materials are natural, regenerative, and designed for disassembly. The result? Buildings that are carbon-storing, resource-efficient, and future-ready.
In the short video accompanying this post, I share a thought experiment: What if half the land currently used for bioenergy was repurposed to grow hemp for housing? The impact would be profound — potentially meeting 44% of the UK’s housebuilding targets over the next five years, while dramatically cutting embodied carbon.
Looking Ahead
The energy at No 1 Poultry was encouraging. There’s a growing recognition that retrofit isn’t just about compliance — it’s about opportunity. Opportunity to rethink materials, methods, and models. Opportunity to build better.
We’re excited to see tools like the Innovation Map helping to drive that shift. And we’re ready to be part of the solution — offering a scalable, natural alternative that meets the needs of both people and planet.⸻
Explore the Innovation Map
If you’re working on a retrofit project or looking for inspiration, we highly recommend exploring the UKGBC Commercial Retrofit Innovation Map — a practical, structured tool featuring over 500 solutions to help you design for impact from the start.