Max headroom: How floor jacking could give old buildings a new lease of life

By Thomas Lane2025-04-01T06:00:00

Extending the building wasn’t an option as it is hemmed in above, below and on all four sides

One of the biggest justifications for demolishing rather than refurbishing old buildings is constricted floor-to-ceiling heights. It is much easier to knock down a building than reconfigure the floors to meet modern standards. This is also particularly carbon intensive as most of a building’s upfront carbon footprint resides in the structural frame.

However, a team refurbishing a steel-framed building in the City of London has pioneered a solution to this conundrum which has the potential to give a new lease of life to buildings currently destined for demolition.

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