Heritage Conservation: Managing Environmental Impacts in Historic Buildings

TWO options:

1) AM lectures only - The morning will comprise a combination of technical lectures and reviewing survey equipment.

2) Full day - with lunch and a workshop involving practical assessment on site (St Thomas's).

The environmental conditions in an historic building: humidity, water, heat and light, are among the most significant influences on the conservation of the building fabric and the artefacts within it. Poor environmental conditions can cause masonry and decorative surfaces to crumble, timber to split, fabrics to deteriorate and lead to mould damage across all materials. Poor environmental conditions also make a building feel uncomfortable and unwelcoming for the visitors and users alike.

Improving the environmental conditions in an historic building can be a key step, not only for its long term conservation but also in the way in which the building can be used, providing it with a sustainable future. Controlling the building environment is the basis of many decarbonisation projects, by improving building performance and reducing its carbon footprint. However, the risks involved in issues such as heating, insulation and ventilation are often underestimated, and the same measures that are intended to improve the building can also result in significant and costly damage.

Built around the recently published Historic England guidance – Understanding the Environmental Performance of Historic Buildings for Conservation, the aim of the day is to review how we understand the building environment, how to identify risks, and to design interventions to provide long term improvements.

The day will be split into two parts. The morning will comprise a combination of technical lectures and reviewing survey equipment, while in the afternoon, there will be a workshop involving practical assessment on site. The aim is to equip attendees with an understanding of the basic issues involved in environmental performance assessment conservation, the elements that can be safely undertaken by general building professionals, and when and how to commission specialist investigations.

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Host or Publisher Diocese of Sodor and Man in partnership with the Manx Museum