Sea, Salt, Sun… And BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out v7
Sofia Kesidou
·
Starting up your own consultancy takes dedication and hard work, so I’ve decided to have a working summer this year – the first for One Bright Green. There are no long holidays planned. Instead, I am determined to enjoy lots of little moments of joy, leisure and learning, by exploring Sussex: discovering new places, revisiting old favourites and getting to know a bit better the place I call home.
My first stop: The Saltdean Lido, where I start most sunny days with an early morning swim.
A seafront icon reborn
The building is on the seafront, about five miles east of central Brighton. Commissioned by local entrepreneur Charles Neville and designed by architect Richard William Herbert Jones, it first opened to the public in 1937. English Heritage named it ‘One of the Seven Wonders of The English Seaside’, and it is regarded by many as one of the best examples of lido architecture in the UK.
Despite its appeal and heritage value, for many years this elegant late Art-Deco, ocean-liner-inspired building stood eerily derelict and abandoned. The Second World War, the post-war decline of lidos across Britain, coastal concrete corrosion, and years of neglect due to public underfunding all contributed to its gradual decline.
Today, this elegant Grade II* listed building stands in front of me transformed into a vibrant mixed-use development, incorporating a public library, a café, a gym, co-working spaces, a ballroom and exhibition space, and of course the iconic swimming pool, which was restored and reopened in 2017 as part of a separate project. The restoration was delivered by RHP Architects, working closely with Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company (SLCIC), established by local residents to save the building from demolition and secure its long-term future. The wider project team included MCA Consulting Engineers, Buxton Building Contractors, Lewis & Co Planning and QED Structures. The project was completed in 2025 and won many prestigious awards, including the RIBA South East Award (2026) for best regional architecture, and Client of the Year for the tireless vision of the community team.
Why this matters for BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit Out v7
Given the launch of BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit Out Version 7 last week, this feels like a timely first stop on my Sussex summer journey.
The Saltdean Lido is an inspiring example of how heritage buildings can retain their historic significance while delivering meaningful improvements in environmental performance and occupant comfort. The refurbishment incorporates air source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, upgraded insulation, a Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) system and bluetooth-controlled LED lighting. However, planning-stage information suggests that the building’s Grade II* listed status limited the opportunities to pursue a formal BREEAM certification at the time.
The new BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit Out v7 scheme introduces several important changes over the previous, outdated RFO 2014. These, in my view, will make sustainability assessments more flexible and better suited to complex heritage restoration projects such as this.
Some of the key benefits include:
Single assessments for mixed-use developments are now allowed, making certification more practical and financially viable.
The split manual set-up allows you to assess three ways — refurbishment only, fit out only, or both — making the assessment process much more efficient for both assessor and design team.
Alignment with current regulations, standards and policy frameworks reduces duplication of modelling work and associated consultancy costs.
Greater emphasis on whole-life carbon and the circular economy allows projects to achieve credits across a broader range of sustainability measures, helping to offset the constraints that listed buildings often face in improving operational energy performance.
For coastal developments such as this, BREEAM v7 places heavy weight on climate change adaptation and resilience.
Improved potential for sustainable finance, with stronger whole-life cycle costing approaches providing greater transparency and credibility for green loans, investment and funding opportunities.
Need for earlier integration into project delivery, encouraging sustainability to be considered from the earliest design stages, where it can have the greatest impact.
The introduction of the new BREEAM Platform, providing a more modern, streamlined and transparent assessment and submission process.
For me, Saltdean Lido is a compelling reminder of the untapped potential within our existing building stock. With the right vision, a committed community and sustained investment, refurbishment can unlock environmental, economic and social value while preserving the cultural heritage that gives our places their identity. Assessment frameworks such as BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit Out v7 can help realise that potential by embedding whole-life sustainability principles throughout the refurbishment process, enabling projects to support net zero trajectories, while also delivering lasting value for both people and place.
At One Bright Green, we’re excited about the opportunities that BREEAM Refurbishment & Fit Out v7 creates for refurbishment and adaptive reuse projects. We look forward to helping our clients maximise the environmental, social and commercial value of their existing buildings.
If you’re planning a refurbishment or a heritage restoration project and would like to explore how BREEAM could support your sustainability goals, we’d be delighted to start the conversation.
The article was written using information publicly available on project team members’ websites, the Brighton and Hove City Council planning portal, and the Saltdean Lido Restoration website. Photographs by the author. AI was used after finalising the article to optimise syntax and grammar. For more images and information about the restoration, visit: Saltdean Lido | The History.