The Pembina Institute’s Reframed Lab was designed to disrupt traditional ways of procuring, designing, and delivering retrofit projects. We worked closely with building owners to select suitable buildings, define project objectives, foster collaboration, and stimulate creativity. The best-in-class schematic that the design teams developed are not typical under public procurement and portfolio renewal practices that lean toward short-term financial returns. The request for proposals for these demonstration projects introduced qualitative objectives that do not show up on a balance sheet, and these led to creative, holistic design approaches that balance design goals.