Conservation and Heritage
Preserving our history and heritage, for future generations to enjoy
Our specialist conservation and heritage team is passionate about giving new life to the places and spaces forged in the past – making them relevant and functional for today. We understand how history connects us to a meaningful past and provide pointers to a successful future, and the sense of community and ownership which can be gained from celebrating the roots of local culture.
We identify whether existing infrastructure still has a role to play, and prioritise restoration making them fit-for-purpose wherever possible – all the while remaining sensitive to the original design features and purpose of a place.
Our team will support you throughout all stages of your historic building project. Initially we will conduct any surveys and inspections required, we can then report on our findings and make suitable recommendations. From here, we develop solutions, make sensitive repairs and design proposals, then specify, tender and manage the resulting work through to completion.
We have worked on a wide range, size and scale of historic buildings and our experienced team includes members of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, as well as AABC accredited conservation architects.
Our Specialisms
The key expertise we offer to our clients
Significance and understanding
Our first task is ensuring that we have a complete understanding and appreciation of a site’s historic and cultural links, as these are key to its sustainable management. Research, audits, and assessment help us understand any building and inform decisions needed to secure its future. Conservation Statements, Conservation Management Plans, and Conservation Area Assessments are all vital here.
Grants, funding and legislation
We have a successful track record in sourcing and managing grants for repair and conservation projects and have helped clients secure grants and funding from sources including local government, Historic England, Heritage Lottery Fund. This is supported by our experience in offering planning and development advice for listed buildings and conservation areas – including specialist experience in dealing with faculty jurisdiction and the separate planning laws governing church buildings.
Our services include Planning and Listed Building Applications, discharging planning and Listed Building conditions, planning appeals negotiations regarding enforcement notices, specialist advice on churches, including ecclesiastical exemptions, and advice on delisting and Certificates of Immunity. We also advise Local Authorities, acting on their behalf or providing specialist advice to augment their own services.
Surveys and analysis
With a wealth of knowledge and experience in historic sites their construction and context and issue which affect them, we use our use specialist equipment and technical expertise to carry out detailed analyses, surveys and investigations. We offer historic, condition, and measured building surveys, recording and analysis, BIM and photometric scanning, and quinquennial inspections.
Repairs, maintenance and development
Our specialist team is well equipped and knowledgeable of historic repairs and building works of all ages and sizes. It is essential that repairs, maintenance, and development should not only be sympathetic to a site’s heritage but also consider the simplification of building services, to ease long-term maintenance. We can also advise on the development potential of protected sites in areas that may be historically sensitive, skillfully interpreting briefs, to enable continuing or new uses for historic buildings. Our services in this area include pre-purchase conservation, planning, development and design advice, listed building and conservation area applications, and Local Authority negotiations where proposals involve heritage assets.
Latest
News
Keep up-to-date with everything going on around the practice. Read about our latest news, thought leadership and project updates.
Practice News
Achieving decarbonisation: shared thoughts from Leeds
We were joined by industry professionals in Leeds for our fourth roundtable event of the year, exploring the challenges and opportunities in decarbonisation.
Date: 5 Jun 24
by AHR
Practice News
We are appointed to CHIC’s UK Optimised Retrofit Consultancy DPS
As part of our ongoing decarbonisation initiative, our building consultancy team is proud to have been appointed to CHIC’s UK Optimised Retrofit Consultancy DPS.
Date: 16 Oct 23
by AHR
Thought Leadership
Retrofit and regeneration
Many Local Authorities (LAs) have, understandably, been wary of taking on BIM unless absolutely necessary, however BIM can provide enormous cost and time savings in retrofit and regeneration projects.
Date: 14 Mar 20
by Lee McDougall
Director, Building Consultancy
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