Day 3 Research

Underpinning all of the above is research. It is therefore imperative that we are all up to speed with what’s going on from some of our top researchers in the field. These can be both academically funded or undertaken from the keenest of practitioners. In today’s session we have a mix of both. Leeds Beckett University have compiled a huge sample of retrofitted projects and assessed them. Here we will learn some salient lessons and garner some direction forward. Archimetrics have concluded there long term research programme with SPAB and we shall be treated to a final update and set of conclusions and lastly we have an in-depth practical study looking at carbon within a listed building.

This session of the conference will help us all to answer these questions as we have a stellar line up of speakers who have explored this topic in depth. 

Dr Caroline Rye (Archimetrics) – The SPAB Building Performance Survey: The Final Chapter

In 2011, Caroline, along with Cameron Scott, co-founded ArchiMetrics Ltd, a building performance research company. ArchiMetrics uses in situ monitoring to develop knowledge of building performance by measuring real buildings, in use. The company specialises in many aspects of building performance including; interstitial moisture behaviour, fabric heat losses, air leakage and indoor air quality. Our work often uses bespoke equipment and innovative measurement and analysis techniques in order to explore building performance beyond the limitations of methods which use ‘off the shelf’ products. In this way we hope to be able to measure almost anything (!) and tailor our approach to address specific performance questions providing work with a high degree of detail and integrity. ArchiMetrics has carried out work for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), Historic Environment Scotland, Trinity College, Cambridge, St Johns’ College, Oxford, Peabody Housing Association and Saint Gobain amongst others. Caroline is a member of the SPAB Technical Panel and one of the Sustainable Traditional Building Alliance’s (STBA) ‘panel of experts’, co-author of their Responsible Retrofit of Traditional Buildings Report and part of the team that created the on-line retrofit Guidance Wheel.

Website: www.archimetrics.co.uk

Harry Paticas (Arboreal Architecture) – Heritage Counts Case study in Low Carbon retrofit (Bournville)

Harry founded Arboreal Architecture with Tom Raymont in 2010 and was one of the STBA’s first Affiliate members.

Harry’s projects include the award winning Clapham Retrofit. The 170-year old Grade II Listed townhouse achieved the AECB Silver Standard for energy efficiency whilst retaining, and even enhancing, the heritage features of the home. Harry continues to pass on what he learns as a visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster (Architecture & the Built Environment).

Website: arborealarchitecture.com Twitter: @harrypaticas

David Glew (Leeds Beckett University) – The Good the Bad and the Risky; Observations and Measurements from Domestic Retrofits

Dr Glew is Reader in Energy Efficiency and Policy at the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University. Dr Glew is involved in policy development in the area of domestic energy efficiency; he has been appointed to Ofgem Technical Advisory Panels to assess new innovations, contributed to Government calls for evidence, Select Committee inquiries, All Party Parliamentary Groups and being a member of work streams for the Each Home Counts industry review. He has also spent time seconded to BEIS where he worked on evaluating and designing research projects to inform policy teams and ministers.

Nigel Griffiths (STBA) – Updates from the STBA inc. findings from the BEIS Melin and SMETER Projects

Nigel has over 25 years’ experience in the building industry as a practitioner, author and consultant and has a strong practical background in the repair and refurbishment of traditional buildings. While a Principal Consultant in Sustainable Buildings at Ricardo, he worked closely with UK government, overseas governments and other agencies to develop and evaluate policy on energy efficiency and renewable energy. He has provided sustainable refurbishment advice to some of the most notable listed buildings in the UK and is also the author of the Eco House Manual (Haynes, paperback edition 2016). He lectures widely on traditional buildings, is the resident sustainability expert at “Build-it”, and member of the Steering Group for PAS2035