Neighbourhood Retrofit: A Role for Everyone

As part of Community Business Week with Power to Change, we invite you to join us for afternoon and evening of exploration into how we’ve been working with local businesses and practitioners to reimagine materials, methods, and ways of working together in service of the deep retrofit of our homes, streets, and neighbourhoods.

We’ll begin with open site tours, of our demonstrator Retrofit House and the Neighbourhood Public Square where you’ll gain an insight into how we are working together with local practitioners, businesses and partners across the built environment and construction sector to demonstrate neighbourhood scale infrastructure for social, ecological, and climate transitions.

You’ll hear how through a particular focus on natural and bio-based materials we’re unearthing a wide range of opportunities for new skills and capacities to be developed in our homes, streets and neighbourhoods.

We’ll then move to The Signing Tree, a neighbourhood venue, for an evening of shared dinner, conversation, and screenings that spotlight how this work is coming to life at the house, street, and neighbourhood levels.

Working at the neighbourhood scale CIVIC SQUARE take an ecosystem approach and work with community businesses who are committing to adapting their work and business practices towards more climate resilient and regenerative futures.

This event will be a gathering and showcase of some of these businesses, particularly those working in construction and retrofit for an evening of sharing and learning about the role these businesses can play in moving us towards thriving neighbourhoods in changing climate.

Site tours at CIVIC SQUARE will take place at the site, which is adjacent to South Loop Park.

Whilst the park is open to all ages, as we prepare to begin the construction of Neighbourhood Public Square together, we are very committed and excited to keep the site as open as possible. In order to make this work, we invite you to adopt new postures together with us and adhere to some important principles for taking care and keeping each other safe on site.

• Please note all activity on site is only open to adults and children aged 11+
• When on site children aged under 16 must always be accompanied by an adult
• Closed toed shoes or boots must be worn in the Courtyard and polytunnel areas
• Hi vis vests will be provided when you come into the Courtyard and poltunnel and we ask that you keep these on at all times whilst you are in these areas. Other safety equipment will be provided for specific workshops as and when required
• The ground is uneven in places, please navigate carefully and look out for each other
• Please note, no food or uncovered drinks should be consumed inside the polytunnel
• Please do not go beyond the designated areas, indicated by heras fencing and floor markings
• Please listen and respect any care guidance shared by our team and practitioners on site, for whom your safety if their number one priority
• An accessible toilet will be available off site on Rotton Park Street

If further information would support your visit, please email us at [email protected]. You can also let us know about any specific access requirements you may have during the sign up process, and where possible we will of course seek to meet these, whilst also being honest about the limitations of the current infrastructure where needed to ensure you have any information you may need before attending.

We thank you for your understanding and collaboration whilst we hold the constraints and opportunities of working in close proximity to former industrial buildings which are currently undergoing surveys to gain a full picture of their condition, whilst we keep trying to practice as openly as possible together during this time, and throughout the construction stages to come.

Please note, this event will be across 3 sites - we start off at Retrofit House (B16 0EP), and then onto CIVIC SQUARE (B16 0AB) and then from 6pm the remainder of this event will be at the Signing Tree (100 Ladywood Rd, B16 8SZ). The Signing Tree is a 10minute walk from CIVIC SQUARE.

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