The Retrofit Lab is a Research and Innovation Laboratory activating the transition of Australia's buildings, infrastructure and landscapes for resilient, healthy, and sustainable cities.
The cities of 2050 have already been built. Urgent action to retrofit existing built assets is needed if Australia is to meet its carbon targets and develop resilience against ongoing climate, biodiversity and public health risks. A major challenge is that the property and construction sectors are geared towards building new assets and not retrofitting existing buildings, infrastructure, and urban landscapes. These sectors lack the skills, coordination, and motivation to develop resilient buildings for a post-carbon world.