8th November 2016

Thomasons Principal Associate shares expertise at conference on conserving heritage buildings

Alasdair Beal, a Principal Associate at Thomasons in Leeds, led a discussion on the structural assessment of historic buildings at the Museum of Science & Industry, as part of a recent industry-wide seminar entitled ‘Conserving and re-generating our heritage buildings: overcoming the challenges.’

Presenting to a group that included architects, developers, local authority conservation officers and heritage consultants, he covered topics including the need to understand both the historic context of the building and the developer’s vision, as well as the importance of a full structural assessment and appraisal report. Alasdair also discussed the need for intervention and the strategies to use for different materials and forms of construction.

Presenting case studies of projects ranging from fifteenth-century timberwork and nineteenth-century mills to early twentieth-century buildings, and an aqueduct, he said:  “When assessing existing structures, care needs to be taken to understand the original construction and to assess its condition and load capacity. Saving and renovating these buildings for new uses has many benefits, making our towns and cities more attractive, saving construction materials and reducing waste.”

Restoring and renovating historic buildings is a core area of Thomasons’ expertise. We have wide experience of working with different materials and forms of construction, carrying out sympathetic repairs and alterations which balance the commercial needs of our client with respect for the building’s heritage.