Our Built Heritage

In this episode I am joined by Hannah Pallubinsky, Assistant Professor at Maastricht University where she co-leads the Thermoregulation and Metabolism research group. Hannah’s research focuses on how environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and air quality impact human physiology, health, and well-being. With particularly interest in how our bodies respond to indoor and outdoor environments, and how we can design healthier living and working spaces in the face of climate change. Hannah talks about how her research has influenced her views on the built environment and the relationship humans have with buildings and how the indoor environment influences our health plus the role old buildings play given the number that are in existence. Old buildings were designed to fit the needs of occupants and as designs have changed how much is considered about the health of the occupants’ vs the buildings aesthetics?We chat about the complications that mechanical ventilationcan have on a person if it were to fail. The impact an environment can have on your health and if we are not exposed to any variation in temperature it can result in a body not performing as it should and our bodies often get lazy. Biologically we are comfort seekers! Hannah shares how the research can feed into the builtindoor environment and make buildings more resilient for the future. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties. If you liked what you heard it would be great if you canshare Our Built Heritage with anyone else you think will find it interesting and also subscribe so that you know when the next episode has been released. It would be amazing if we between us can raise awareness onour built heritage.

In this episode I am joined by Ellora Coupe Founder of HerRetrofit Space and Her Own Space, two interconnected member platforms empowering women to lead the UK’s home retrofit revolution. Ellora shares her journey from interior architecture andexposure to building sites at a young age thanks to her father. We talk about how she works with a client and the importance of understanding the client and what they need from their space to ensure the right solution is achieved whichmay mean reconfiguring a space rather than adding an extension. We also talk about seeing properties differently with more of a car mindset then how we often see a property which can be to its detriment. We chat about what you might consider when you areretrofitting a property and how misleading that word is. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties. If you liked what you heard it would be great if you canshare Our Built Heritage with anyone else you think will find it interesting and also subscribe so that you know when the next episode has been released. It would be amazing if we between us can raise awareness onour built heritage.

In this episode I am joined by Aimée Felton, Director of Estates and Conservations at The Charterhouse, a grade 17-acre estate. Aimée plays a critical role in delivering the strategy which promotes excellence in the care, conservation and stewardship of this magnificent former Carthusian monastery. Managing, presenting and developing the estate, to ensure the ongoing care of the residents, presentation of the estate to the public and excellence in built conservation. Aimée shares her career journey and how she started life as an architect and how her passion for heritage shaped the projects she worked on which then led her to being appointed Director of Estates and Conservations at The Charterhouse. We talk about her role at The Charterhouse and how the estate is used including as almshouses as well as venues for events and filming and photoshoots. We talk about the practical aspects of caring for a listed site and what that means when it comes to maintaining and adapting it to meet changing needs, especially when it comes to sustainability and aging populations. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties. If you liked what you heard it would be great if you canshare Our Built Heritage with anyone else you think will find it interesting and also subscribe so that you know when the next episode has been released. It would be amazing if we between us can raise awareness onour built heritage.

In this episode I am joined by Ruth Wightman, founder of Peak Project Solutions where she helps architects, contractors, and specifiers across the UK deliver projects that are practical, buildable, sustainable and visually compelling. Part of Ruth’s offering is to source bricks and masonry that blend seamlessly with the existing building which can often be a planning condition when working on listed buildings and buildings in a conservation area. Ruth shares her journey and the array of roles she hasundertaken which led her to establish company. It is incredibly inspiring to hear! We talk about the projects Ruth has been involved in and howthey source, match and tint bricks to suit the clients and building’s needs and the importance of conservation and repurposing materials. Ruth describes what may happen when a building is demolished or there is over ordering/waste on a site and how in some cases change needs to happen and a more joined up approach. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties. If you liked what you heard it would be great if you canshare Our Built Heritage with anyone else you think will find it interesting and also subscribe so that you know when the next episode has been released. It would be amazing if we between us can raise awareness on our built heritage.

In this episode I am joined by Sarah Charlesworth, Business Skills Foundation Lead at the Hopwood Foundation and Hopwood DePree, writer, actor, director and producer and now Co-Deputy Chair of Historic Houses North-West Region. He is also a published author which details his restoration journey of a Grade 2 listed building, Hopwood Hall, which wasbuilt by his ancestors with parts of it dating back to the 1420s. Sarah shares how she started working within the heritage sector after studying building archaeology and then working in local government and Historic England. Hopwood grew up in Michagan and then lived in Los Angles where it is heavily influenced by Art Deco designs. When he found out that the stories from his childhood were true and Hopwood Hall was real, he visited the UK and saw the building and the state ofdisrepair but was overwhelmed by how the community was trying their best to care for it. Using the skills he learnt working in film he applied them to saving the building and his work continues. We talk about the importance of having the right level of resourcing and knowledge in planning departments to support projects and the impact it can have on a building when they are not in place. Hopwood shares the challenges they are facing in particular all the red tape which is more than he anticipated but the community has fuelled his passion to save the building forfuture generations. Hopwood describes his surprise at skills shortages given theage of the UK’s building landscape. Sarah talks about the programme they’ve established with prisons to build skills and provide work opportunities when they leave the prison system. We talk about Hopwood’s plans for Hopwood Hall and how itwill serve the community whilst offering it as an event space to generate income to help maintain the building for generations to come so it can be self-funding rather than rely on grants. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties. If you liked what you heard it would be great if you can share Our Built Heritage with anyone else you think will find it interesting and also subscribe so that you know when the next episode has been released. It would be amazing if we between us can raise awareness on our built heritage.Links to organisations mentioned on today’s episodeHopwood Foundation https://hopwoodfoundation.org/Architectural Heritage Fund https://ahfund.org.uk/Heritage Fund https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/Heritage Trust https://heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk/ Getting involved in the skills training/learn more about theprogramme Skills@hopwoodfoundation.org

In this episode I am joined by Sarah Harrison, Co-Founderand Director of Harrison Stringfellow Architects who specialise in creatively reusing buildings. Sarah is particularly good at negotiating the planning system and finding creative solutions for tricky sites combining organisational skills with a creative flair she is also an accredited RIBA Principle Designer.Harrison Stringfellow Architects ethos is centred around Community, Conservation, and Climate. We talk about Sarah’s journey into conservation and her work as an architect and how exposure to older properties at the start of her career influenced her career progression andviews on repurposing buildings. Sarah and I chat about advances in technology and how trends often influence a build but whether they are appropriate depending on the client and the age of the property and the buildings overall health and understanding this is integral before you start. This will then ultimately lead to creating the right solution to address any issues in lifestyle, building health etc. Sarah describes some of the incredible projects she has worked on, the thought process behind them and the importance of heritage making sure it was centric to the final designs. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Jim Whitson, owner and blacksmith at The Blazing Blacksmith based in Peebles. Theethos of the Blazing Blacksmith has always been to give clients the choice to enrich their homes, gardens and lives with innovative and exciting work which is created to suit their practical requirements whilst being sympathetic to thesetting of the piece. Whether it is a practical piece or purely sculptural Jim strives to create work which is individual and striking.We talk about how Jim became a blacksmith, the training he undertook and how he approaches a project and thevariety in the work he is commissioned to produce. From things like strawberries to gates and anything in between. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Stephanie Harris, an associate lighting designer at CBG Light Perceptions where they provide bespoke design, consultancy and project management services for lighting and associated systems for historic, religious and other important buildings. Stephanie is also a member of the Society of Light and Lighting. We talk about how important it is to understand a space, howit will be used and by whom and how integral a clear brief is to work out what type of lighting is required. We also discuss how reading the building to understand what makes it special and what needs to be highlighted and what may need to be in the background is integral. Stephanie shares her experiences when working on a project and how she creates different lighting levels as over lighting can have a worse impact than under lighting a space or building. When working with a historical and listed building it isvital that the fabric of the building is not impacted and how the context of its setting is important when developing lighting plans plus working with the various bodies to obtain sign off. What chat about how advances in technology helps manage lighting settings to help with sustainability so that lighting is only on when it is needed and the importance of using the right suppliers to ensure longevity of the light fitting and system. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Kathryn Ferry, a historian specialising in Architecture, Design and Seaside Culture. Kathryn has published several books which range from the history of beach huts, through Victorian homes and 1950s kitchens, to the official history of Butlin’s and the story of Britain’s largest Anglican convent at East Grinstead. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Founder Member of the Seaside Heritage Network. The latest publication is called 20th Century Seaside Architecture which is published in association with the 20th Century Society.Katheryn shares where her passion for history and heritagecame from and the roles she has undertaken and working for The Victorian Society where they helped inform the future of a building referring to some great examples. We talk about how the seaside was an integral part of people’s lives and what it meant for the economy and how it was an industry in its own right. Plus, the importance of candy floss, sticks of rock, donuts and amusement arcades. Kathryn and I talk about how advances in technology, socialelements, country variations, the lack of servants and knowledge have shaped designs and how we interact with and use buildings and spaces. We also discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Lorraine Finch, Director andFounder of LFCP where they are accelerating climate and environmental action in cultural heritage through research, knowledge sharing and resource creation and training. LFCP provides remote and onsite consultation, training opportunities and mentoring to museums, libraries and archives nationally and internationally to help them work sustainably and to assist them in meeting their sustainability goals. Lorraine is an accredited conservator specialising in theconservation and preservation of archives, focusing on photographs, film and sound. We talk about how Lorraine got into the conservation worldand how this led to her caring for paper based documents which later expanded into photographs. Lorraine shares some of the projects and artifacts she has worked on which is not only broad ranging but incredible in terms of the significance and age of some of the pieces she has handled and restored. Lorraine shares information on training and routes into theindustry and how climate change is impacting the health and wellbeing of collections and heritage assets. We discuss the usual challenges, common themes andmisconceptions working in the heritage sector which includes a myth that you can’t wash paper along with top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Dan Bland from UplandArchitecture. Where he offers a refreshing approach to architecture, conservation and the traditions of building. Dan is also passionate about regenerative agriculture as a means to support sustainable land management and he also raining to be a dry stone waller. We talk about how Dan became passionate about working with older properties and how this translates to the projects he works on along with the linkages with sustainable land management. We discuss the challenges, common themes and misconceptions working in the heritage sector along with the usual top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Robyn Pender who provides afresh look at the climate emergency through the twin lenses of science and history. Robyn is passionate about the world and promoting change for the better! Robyn was originally a physicist and then studied wall paintings and conservation which then lead her to working in the built environment andworking for Historic England as a Senior Building conservation Advisor. We talk about how buildings should be climate specific andhow World War 2 and the industrial revolution impacted how buildings were built along with the changes in glass making and it becoming cheaper and how this also changed the way a building was built and performed. We discuss the idea of defining a building as a greatcoatand a raincoat, Medieval illumination and wall cloths and how integral they were along with other architectural detailing that helped maintain the property and kept it healthy and structural sound. The way heat transfers or is lost depending on the product and how this can impact on comfort levels. We look at some of the challenges faced, plus common themes and misconceptions when working in the heritage sector along with the usual top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.

In this episode I am joined by Cait Whitson from Whitson’s and Carte Blanche. The aim of Whitson’s is to manufacture, source and supply exceptional products for the decorationindustry. Carte Blanche which was Cait’s first business offered high-end decorative painting and restoration services. We talk about Cait got into the industry and the trainingshe undertook and the kind of properties she worked on which ignited her passion to learn more about paint, how it is made and how it is applied and developing her specialist paint skills in graining and marbling. How life in a male dominated environment was and how she circumnavigated it. We discuss the impact of products on the environment,challenges, common themes and misconceptions working in the heritage sector along with the usual top tips when working with an older property. It will be an interesting listen for anyone embarking on aproject and is looking for some guidance and anyone generally interested in older properties.