About

Built from practice.

I'm Callum Payne, and I started retain.solutions. I began my architectural career in Australia, where I spent almost five years in a Sydney-based office, working primarily with existing buildings and infrastructure. I then moved to Denmark to complete my Master of Architecture. That move changed a lot for me. Learning from Danish architects, hearing from people leading the conversation on carbon, and watching Denmark introduce carbon limits on new buildings reshaped how I think about every project.

Looking back at how we do things in Australia, one thing kept standing out. The decision to keep or replace a building is often made before the numbers are run and before every option is properly understood. That matters, because construction is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, and the buildings we already have are the best place to start.

I built retain.solutions to help with that. It gives architects and building designers a clear way to compare retaining, retrofitting, extending and replacing a building, and to talk those options through with clients. I also hope it encourages us to aim higher than the legal minimum and be part of a wider shift in how we build, one that leaves room for both people and the environment. Australia doesn't need to wait for legislation to start building better.

Callum