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*Traditional construction (solid wall) differs significantly from modern construction in that modern buildings are designed to keep moisture out with layers of impervious materials such as cement and plastic membranes. Traditional buildings however work by using solid semi-permeable materials that can absorb moisture without damage and release it slowly back into the environment as conditions become dryer. Adequate ventilation is a key part of this process. This is often referred to as ‘breathable construction’ and encompasses solid masonry buildings as well as timber framed construction, generally constructed before the First World War.
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The 2019 STBA-SPAB Conference & Expo - Sustainability of Traditional Buildings - will again take place at The Gallery, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL - kindly provided by Alan Baxter.
The sustainability of old buildings is reliant on their ongoing use and reuse in the modern world. Understanding how they function (building physics), and how we should be maintaining and upgrading them are key to their continued usefulness – particularly in view of climate change and increased occupant demands.
The 2019 STBA-SPAB Conference & Expo will look at current research, the situation of regulations and initiatives, as well as the skills training that enable our built environment to include a wealth of healthy buildings with heritage and aesthetic value.
We shall look at the important role materials play, hear from those successfully carrying out retrofit/refurbishment and receive an update on the STBA large-scale pilot of retrofit using the whole-house approach (funded by the BEIS Building Thermal Efficiency Innovation Fund).
This event is sponsored by Lime Green who will be taking part in the Exhibitor Showcase before lunch. This 'dance-off' will comprise very short presentations on the topic of external renders that improve thermal performance.
Limited places are available - bookings via Eventbrite.
Whole-House Retrofit – STBA project with Melin Homes
The STBA is piloting a large-scale Whole-House retrofit project under the BEIS Building Thermal Efficiency Innovation Fund initiative. Working with Melin Homes, on 30-40 of their traditional houses in Wales, we are developing survey templates and installer training using the Whole-House approach.
The initial survey is key to the success of whole-house retrofit; in addition to thermal performance, the survey templates will cover the condition of the building fabric and services, ventilation and indoor air quality as well as context and heritage value.
Alongside the electronic surveys, we are developing training for surveyors/assessors. These will form part of a bespoke suite of measures with detailed designs, addressing health and heritage as well as energy use. Following further testing, the process and supporting methodology will be released as a toolkit for industry use across the UK.
STBA Members' Meeting - February 2019
STBA Members, Supporting Organisations and Technical Experts attended the 2019 STBA Advisory Group on 19th February 2019 at our offices in London. We gave an update of our work in 2018 followed by a presentation by Simon Ayers who talked about the Trustmark quality assurance scheme for PAS 2035. PAS 2035 is the specification for the energy retrofit of domestic buildings and is due to be published in May 2019.
The second half of the meeting was dedicated to discussions about priorities for the coming year. A summary of what was discussed can be seen on our Past Events page.
The presentations are available to download on our Presentations & Articles page.
The new Historic Environment Policy for Scotland comes into use on 1st May 2019 and replaces Historic Environment Scotland Policy Statement.
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It’s up to those that know better to contribute to this type of initiative - our Director, Nigel Griffiths, will be… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
20th May @ 09:12
Thanks @SPAB1877 for superb week on Repair of Historic Buildings including awesome visits and outstanding speakers pic.twitter.com/GAchIikILX
17th May @ 15:32
Construction industry 'not reporting full carbon impact' bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…
14th May @ 21:48
Today at our @WythenshaweHall project for @ManCityCouncil @NWCH2 we co-hosted (with @buttressarch ) a visit by stud… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Not long now till the @AECBnet conference! It's the annual opportunity to learn from a collection of knowledgeable… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
19th May @ 07:47
Challenging times on the #highstreet - but it has evolved and changed many times before. We believe #SocEnt,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
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Book now for our conference with @STBA_UK on current #research, themes, issues and #policy concerning the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
17th May @ 16:35
Site visits on our Repair of Old Buildings Course this week included the historic walls of the beautiful gardens at… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
16th May @ 11:35
Just got home from chipping cement pointing off stone. How thick does the cement need to be to trap moisture? This… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
18th May @ 15:24_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The 2019 STBA-SPAB Conference will be held in London on 11th June 2019.
Download the programme & flyer.
Limited places are available - bookings via Eventbrite.
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Upcoming Events by Others:
These one-day technical training events are run by STBA Supporting Organisation, The Green Register, and led by STBA Technical Director, Nicholas Heath. Nick covers current issues, solutions and emerging best practice in how to achieve ‘responsible retrofit’ – sustainable, low-energy traditional buildings with retained character, minimal risk to buildings and occupants and real benefits for all.
Seminars, presented by John Edwards, focusing on the new UK specification for the retrofitting of dwellings.
Celebrating 30 years of Action: AECB 30th Anniversary Conference. Building Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Peter Rickaby presents an update on the Each Home Counts review and PAS 2035.
Bite-size talks from 17.00 to 19.00:
A two-day course run by ESC in conjunction with CITB National Construction College.
A 1-day course, led by John Edwards.
A half-day seminar from Green Register & Ecological Building Systems.
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Whole House Retrofit: a short paper that sets out the background to the development of the whole house approach, then examines the various levels of retrofit which are often described as whole house but in reality most fall far short.
The STBA’s optimal approach (Responsible Retrofit) is explained, together with a final section which looks forward to a vision of transformative retrofit and the role that it could play in delivering a truly sustainable society for the 21st century.
Planning Responsible Retrofit: designed for use by owners,
designers, project managers and contractors when planning a
retrofit project.
Moisture in Buildings: an integrated approach to risk assessment and guidance by Neil May (UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings) and Chris Sanders
Available to download via the bsi website.
Bristolians' Solid Wall Insulation Guidance: Solid-wall insulation guide and video developed for those living in Bristol to help them make more informed decisions about how to insulate their homes. This guidance is now used by professionals as well as homeowners all over the UK.
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An immediate objective of the STBA is to focus on the risks and benefits associated with generic approaches to repair, maintenance and retro-fitting of traditional buildings. We have completed a gap analysis of current research on performance of traditional buildings, including an analysis of expertise and skills, in order to inform future research and policies.
We are establishing advocacy routes to key decision-makers involved in the sustainability of the built environment, including the Green Deal, in order to help inform policy development relating to traditional buildings.
We have completed a gap analysis of current research on performance of traditional buildings, including an analysis of expertise and skills, in order to inform future research and policies.
In addition, the STBA has identified three key areas of immediate concern relating to standards used in the refurbishment of traditional buildings:
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Get Involved - STBA Membership
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Responsible Retrofit - STBA Guidance Wheel & Knowledge Centre . . . . .
STBAWheel - an
interactive retrofit guidance tool that
allows the user to customise the context and selected
measures to
reveal guidance on specific types of properties and
conditions.
