Stephen Jeffrey Architects

email: info@stephenjeffreyarchitects.co.uk   t: (01376) 573601  m: 07957 827096

Historic Buildings

 
Barn conversion and new build house complex, near Colchester

The problem

Working with historic buildings (broadly speaking, those constructed before 1890 and using lime in their construction instead of cement) requires an altogether different approach than would be adopted when dealing with modern buildings.

Unfortunately, many Building Owners and Builders neither recognise this nor understand the basic principles involved, such as the need for historic buildings to breathe, and this results in inappropriate repairs and new construction which, ultimately, will be damaging to the historic building’s structure and its fabric by causing its premature decay. Old buildings have suffered greatly (including listed buildings) in this respect, particularly since the middle of the twentieth century and the widespread use of modern materials, notably cement amongst other things. Especially vulnerable are those old buildings which are not listed but which have been ‘restored or renovated’. A note of caution: these buildings, although having passed Local Authority Building Regulations, are probably concealing costly problems which may only become apparent to Owners several years down the line.

Common mistakes, amongst many that one regularly sees, are as follows:

• The application of modern plasters or fillers over supposedly inferior lime plastered surfaces.

• Damp proof course injection into walls because a perceived damp problem is mentioned in a Surveyor’s report – without thinking too much about what the actual causes of the damp might be (for example, a persistent drip from the corner of a roof or raised flower bed against a wall, which are easily remedied).

• The covering of old floors with carpets or tiles without considering the need for the sub floor to breathe.

• Installing new solid concrete floors with damp proof membranes in rooms of old buildings originally designed to function without damp proof courses.

• The application of cement rendering to old external walls.

The answer

Old buildings need to be understood, not as inferior to modern buildings, but as different and treated accordingly. Most are in fact a hybrid of traditional and modern constructional methods and, as a result, any new works have to be based on a careful assessment of how the building is actually functioning in order to determine the correct detailed design solution. In essence, new work should:

• Be architecturally appropriate to the host building – often modern design will be more successful than attempting to imitate historic detail.

• Seek to improve the building’s health and breathability of its fabric – usually using a combination of traditional materials and clever detailing.

• Recommend repair as a principle rather than replacement.

• Sensitively incorporate modern construction where appropriate, perhaps to insulate against excessive heat loss within a space, using bespoke details if necessary.

Fortunately, the recent establishment of the conservation movement and, in the last few years, the Building Regulations recognition of the special nature of historic buildings, means that we are better able to protect and safeguard the nation’s historic buildings than previously, all the more timely given the incredible pace of change and increasing pressure for new development sweeping the country, often endangering historic buildings and their settings.

Stephen Jeffrey Architects aim to develop sensitive designs for historic buildings, in ways which reveal the building’s essential qualities and latent character, exceed Client expectations and create viable, unique and intriguing spaces in which to live and work.