Transforming what we already have: Why sustainability matters for our campuses

Introduction to Campus Futures

At King’s, we’re thinking differently about how our estate supports teaching, research and student success both now and into the future. Through Campus Futures, we are enhancing our campuses to meet the evolving needs of our students and staff while putting our academic strategy and sustainability at the heart of our approach.

Our approach to sustainability can be seen in practice following our exit from the Virginia Woolf Building last year. Across this project we reused around 70% of furniture and repurposed IT and AV equipment, leading to a CO2 saving of 176.6k tonnes.

One of the core principles of the Campus Futures Programme is making the most of what we already have across our estate. Our focus is on reusing, adapting and upgrading existing spaces to create a sustainable and thriving campus environment.

Bush House South West Wing and the case for retrofit

The redevelopment of Bush House South West Wing is a great example of this retrofit approach. This project will create transformative multi-use space adjacent to the pedestrianised Strand for our students, our interdisciplinary experts and our wider community. The challenge for the Campus Futures Programme is to deliver this in a cost effective and sustainable manner by 2027.

What EnerPHit brings to the project

At the heart of this ambition is the decision to target EnerPHit certification for Bush House South West Wing. EnerPHit is a globally recognised, energy‑efficiency standard for retrofitting existing buildings, created by the Passive House Institute as the retrofit counterpart to the new‑build Passive House standard. This approach significantly reduces energy demand by design, before relying on mechanical systems to compensate.

In practice, this means focusing on the fundamentals of building performance: how heat is retained, how air moves through the building, and how consistent internal conditions can be maintained. This approach will deliver stable indoor temperatures, reduced draughts and condensation, and much better comfort and air quality, all supplied by green electric power.

EnerPHit also copes with the realities of working with complex, historic structures. It recognises the constraints that come with retrofit while still setting a high bar for building and sustainability performance.

A project with wider significance

When we open in 2027, Bush House South West Wing will be the largest EnerPHit-certified refurbishment across the higher education sector in London. This project demonstrates that deep retrofit is possible even within complex urban estates and heritage contexts. It also reinforces the role universities can play as testbeds for innovation, showing how existing buildings can be transformed rather than replaced.

Looking ahead

EnerPHit certification is awarded only after construction is complete, as it requires independent verification that the finished building meets strict performance targets for energy demand and airtightness, supported by as-built calculations and on-site testing, rather than relying solely on design-stage predictions

Retrofit of our historic central London estate is at the heart of the Campus Futures Programme, and it is an approach we will continue to pursue across King’s estate as we deliver King’s 2030.