Climate resilience: adapting heritage buildings

Historic urban areas offer some of the greatest opportunities to build long‑term climate resilience. The challenge for the built environment is not whether to choose between cutting carbon and protecting heritage, but how to deliver both together, over the long term.

Across the UK, the move to a low‑carbon economy is reshaping how buildings are designed, upgraded and used. In historic city centres, this challenge is intensified. These places must continue to support economic activity, culture and everyday life, while responding to the need for lower‑carbon performance.

London’s West End is a clear example. As a globally significant destination, climate resilience in the West End depends on adapting existing buildings and improving their performance while retaining the character and activity that make the area recognisable.

This is where retrofit and reuse become so important. Improving existing buildings reduces operational carbon, avoids unnecessary embodied carbon and extends the life of valuable assets. Working with what already exists allows places to evolve without losing their identity.

At the same time, demand for high‑quality, sustainable office space continues to grow. In areas where supply is constrained, occupiers are increasingly focused on longevity - looking for buildings that will remain efficient, adaptable and desirable in the years ahead. With commercial energy performance standards changing from 2030, targeted, energy‑focused retrofit is becoming essential to safeguarding the future resilience and value of much of London’s office stock.

Our work at One Hanover Street shows how this approach can be delivered in practice. We are repositioning the office levels and the welcome at street level to meet modern sustainability and inclusivity standards, while preserving the building’s architectural identity and strengthening its contribution to the street. The project will deliver 124,000 sq ft of climate‑resilient workspace, alongside a new rooftop pavilion and terrace overlooking the West End.

The space has been fully  pre‑let to Ares Management which reflects the continued demand for high‑quality office space in characterful, well‑connected locations. Projects like this also play a wider role in supporting the vitality of the West End, helping to sustain its daily activity and long‑term relevance.

At The Crown Estate, we know climate resilience cannot be delivered through individual projects alone. Our 100‑year vision focuses on long‑term thinking across estates, streets and neighbourhoods - connecting retrofit, development, public realm and green space so the places we care for remain resilient over time.

The move to a low‑carbon future is urgent, but it must also be durable. In historic places, success depends on seeing heritage not as something to work around, but as something to build from. If we get this right, the places shaped by the past can help lead us towards a more resilient future.

James Atherton

Development Director, The Crown Estate