A new start for Retrofit in Barking & Dagenham
Last week, we launched the Sustainable Construction Lab at the New London Architecture (NLA), bringing together local authorities, retrofit innovators, construction specialists and funders to drive the next stage of low-carbon delivery across the Thames corridor.
The NLA was the right place to begin. London’s growth story increasingly runs east, through Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock, and Thames Freeport’s role is clear: to turn that growth into warmer, more efficient, more affordable homes, backed by a construction sector capable of delivering retrofit at scale.
The Sustainable Construction Lab is one part of a coordinated programme to build the region’s future construction ecosystem, including early work on a Built Environment Innovation Centre and a Green Product Catalogue that will help accelerate adoption of low-carbon materials and new delivery models. These are planned for 2026.
Real delivery has already begun on the Becontree Estate
The launch comes as the first neighbourhood-scale retrofit work has started on the Becontree Estate in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, which is one of the UK’s largest housing estates and a major opportunity to prove how retrofit can be delivered at speed and scale.
Retrofitting of these homes will be delivered by Transform-ER, with work carried out by Bow Tie Construction and Ultrapanel. Another part of the estate will be delivered by E.ON, and these upgrades will improve insulation systems and energy-performance measures to reduce heat loss and lower bills.
This is a tangible start, not a pilot on paper, and exactly the type of delivery the Sustainable Construction Lab is designed to accelerate.
Work has already begun on retrofitting homes in Thames Freeport
A glimpse of the future — Planarific’s street-level modelling
At the NLA launch, Planarific — a University of Cambridge spin-out on a mission to unlock scalable retrofit — showcased spatial-AI modelling tools that allow councils and partners to:
– generate accurate street-level 3D models from drone and ground imagery,
– understand building form, geometry and material characteristics at scale,
– identify retrofit opportunities and constraints across whole streets, and
– design data-led pathways that reduce survey time, cost and disruption.
Will Campion from Offgrid Works wowed the audience with a demonstration of pioneering carbon-negative autonomous construction methods with robots.
It’s a practical example of the Lab’s purpose: designing waste out of the system from the start, not responding to it later.’s purpose: designing waste out of the system from the start, not responding to it later.
Why Thames Freeport is stepping into construction and retrofit
Across East London and South Essex, too many homes remain cold, leaky and expensive to heat, while the construction sector itself is under pressure.
There is also rising construction waste and system strain
- In 2022, England generated 63 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste, the highest recorded since consistent reporting began in 2010.
- Recovery rates are up, but total waste is still rising.
- Retrofit demand far exceeds capacity.
- New-build output in London has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade.
A region ready to lead on low-carbon construction
Thames Freeport is well placed to help change this because of its industrial and logistics footprint.
The Port of Tilbury is home to the London Construction Hub where Holcim UK (formerly Aggregate Industries) is investing in a new nine-acre low-carbon cement and materials terminal, capable of storing 30,000 tonnes of materials and processing secondary aggregates. Combined with other circular-economy operators in the Port of Tilbury, it shows the region’s growing momentum.
The Sustainable Construction Lab builds on this strength, joining up innovation, manufacturing, local authorities, funders and communities into one coordinated system.
The Construction Lab is part of a wider innovation ecosystem Thames Freeport is building across transport, energy, health and homes. Each of our Labs — Construction, Connectivity and Health — acts as an intervention point, bringing partners together to solve problems that individual organisations can’t solve alone. The aim is simple: turn innovation into outcomes that matter for the region — higher productivity, faster delivery, better-designed services, and new commercial markets. And as these solutions take hold, they attract new investment, new supply-chain activity and new jobs, creating a cycle that strengthens the region over time.
“This programme is about turning ambition into delivery. Too many homes across East London and South Essex are cold and costly to heat, while the construction sector faces pressures it cannot solve alone”, said Rt Hon. Ruth Kelly, Chair of Thames Freeport
The Sustainable Construction Lab is a practical, funded way to change that, starting with real homes in Barking & Dagenham and scaling across the region.
By bringing innovators, manufacturers and councils around one table, we can deliver warmer homes, lower bills and the skilled jobs our communities deserve.
What happens next
The Sustainable Construction Lab will now move into full delivery led by Rainmaking and supported by:
- Ramboll
- Energiesprong UK
- BE-ST
- Tallarna
- E.ON
With the first demonstration projects already underway, the next 18 months will focus on:
Key objectives
- Expanding neighbourhood-scale retrofit
- Developing a regional marketplace for low-carbon materials
- Unlocking private investment for green construction
- Launching a new green construction qualification in partnership with FE providers
- Laying foundations for a Sustainable Construction & Homes Innovation Centre
👉 Read the full press release (link)
If you’d like to be involved in the Lab — as a developer, innovator, manufacturer or investor — contact:
📧 enquiries@thamesfreeport.com
