From Buildings to Belonging: Retrofitting Workspaces with Social Purpose - DENTON

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The next generation of offices will not be built from scratch. They will be renewed, reshaped, and reimagined.

DENTON Insights

Transformation Over Demolition: Why Retrofit Works

Ageing offices are often faced with stark choices: demolish, relocate, or patch up. Each option carries consequences. Demolition and rebuild create high embodied carbon, disrupt teams, and erase the ties a workplace has to its surrounding community. Relocation comes with logistical headaches and loss of familiarity.

Retrofitting offers a smarter path. Instead of starting over, it transforms what already exists, providing continuity for employees and communities alike. Benefits include:

Keeping offices in central, accessible locations that help attract and retain talent

Preserving neighbourhood identity and supporting local suppliers and businesses

Minimising disruption while maintaining the rhythms of daily work

“Retrofitting is about transformation, not destruction,” says Richard Douglas, Director at DENTON. “When we approach a project, we’re not just upgrading a space, we’re enhancing the communities it serves. Retaining elements of the existing building, respecting local context, and embedding people-first design creates offices that work for everyone.”

This approach ensures workplaces evolve with the people who use them, rather than forcing relocation or expensive, high-carbon rebuilds.

Learn more about embracing human-centric design in office fit-outs.

People-Centric Design: Retrofitting for Wellbeing and Inclusion

Retrofitting is a unique opportunity to put people at the centre of design. By embedding wellbeing and inclusivity from the outset, organisations can create workplaces that genuinely enhance the employee experience.

Key considerations include:

Flexible layouts that accommodate hybrid and diverse working styles
Accessibility features that ensure everyone can move, collaborate, and thrive
Wellness rooms, quiet spaces, and access to natural light and outdoor areas
Integrating heritage elements while providing modern, inspiring design

“Every retrofit is a chance to embed social purpose into a workplace,” says Georgina Barkworth, Head of Marketing at DENTON and Social Responsibility Lead. “When organisations invest in wellbeing, inclusivity, and community connection, they’re not just improving spaces, they’re creating environments where people feel recognised, motivated, and proud. This has a real impact on engagement, productivity, and long-term retention.”

A thoughtful retrofit goes beyond aesthetics. It is a strategic investment in culture, employee experience, and the broader social impact of a business.

ESG Impact

Myth-Busting - Retrofitting

There are still misconceptions about retrofit that can prevent organisations from exploring its potential:

Myth: Retrofitting cannot match the standards of a new build
- Reality: Many retrofits meet or exceed leading certifications including BREEAM, SKA, WELL, and LEED

Myth: Moving is cheaper than retrofitting
- Reality: Relocation quickly adds hidden costs including downtime, fit-out, and logistics. Retrofit maximises existing investments and delivers quicker ROI

Myth: Retrofitting is cosmetic only
- Reality: Retrofits improve systems, energy efficiency, layouts, and embed ESG principles throughout the project

Myth: Staff won’t notice the difference
- Reality: Improved daylight, air quality, acoustics, and access to wellness spaces have direct, measurable impact on wellbeing, collaboration, and productivity

DENTON

Why DENTON is Your Retrofit Partner

At DENTON, we do more than upgrade spaces. We future-proof businesses. Our retrofit approach balances environmental responsibility, social value, and commercial performance, delivering offices that work for people, communities, and bottom-line results.

We bring:

Expertise in CAT A, CAT A+, and CAT B retrofits
ESG leadership and a responsible business ethos
30+ years of delivering high-performing, people-focused workplaces

Learn more about DENTON.

DENTON

Retrofitting for People, Planet, and Performance

Retrofitting is not a fallback option. It is a strategic, sustainable, and human-centred way to transform workplaces. It allows businesses to achieve net zero goals, protect cultural identity, and create functional, inspiring environments for employees every day.

The real question is not whether you can afford to retrofit, it is whether you can afford not to.

Ready to reimagine your office with purpose? Get in touch and let’s start your retrofit journey today.

Giuseppa Fiorenza

Head of Sustainability and Environment

With over 2 decades of experience in the UK and in the European built environment industry, Giuseppa specialises in commercial interior fit-out projects. She has managed projects up to £18m, overseeing design, technical aspects, and sustainability.

Passionate and self-driven about sustainability and the latest technologies, she offers practical advice on reducing carbon emissions and waste production, during manufacturing processes, design and construction stages.

Giuseppa promotes ethical and responsible procurement, whilst implementing sustainability strategies. Currently, she leads DENTON's Carbon Reduction Plan, which aligns to the GHG Protocol scheme. This includes not just scope 1 and 2 but also all the applicable scope 3 categories.

Her expertise has led to leadership roles within Sustainable Assessment Schemes applications such as BREEAM, SKA, and LEED, including serving the SKA technical committee for the SKA for Offices V1 scheme revision, co-chairing the “Materials and Resource Management” group.

Giuseppa is also leading our partnership with the Heart of the City, which supports SMEs on their journey to reach NET ZERO. DENTON is now committed to halving its Green House Gases (GHG) Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2e emissions by 2030, targeting Scope 1, 2 and 3 Net Zero emissions by 2050.

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