Heritage and Conservation

Seeking to forge bridges between the critical philosophical and technical challenges of contemporary building conservation, our group addresses the future role of cultural heritage as an inclusive cultural resource that drives sustainable development through a principle of “do no harm”.

Our key areas of expertise are:

sustainable building conservation
vernacular architecture
heritage valorisation and digital documentation
heritage-led urban regeneration
heritage design management and public engagement
energy use in historic buildings
energy transitions in heritage buildings.

Aims

The Heritage and Conservation research group builds from its members’ established expertise in practice, research and advocacy both nationally and internationally.

These skills include specialist architectural conservation in theory and practice, energy and condition monitoring and measurement, digital documentation and augmented reality underpinned by architectural history and theory, heritage-led urban regeneration, and energy transition in heritage contexts.

Its research findings extend its remit into both policy and practice at both a national and international level, in an area closely aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 11.

Group leads

Our UKRI-funded research includes AHRC, ESPRC and ESRC. Our members also have received funding from Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Cadw and the Vernacular Architecture Group and carried out consultancy for Historic England, Cadw, UNESCO and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The MSc Sustainable Building Conservation has connections with parallel programmes at Roma Tre University, The School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal and Delhi, as well as Athens National Technical University.

We have established international links with the National School of Architecture in Marrakech, The Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Qatar University, the French NGO Architecture & Development, the Delhi based heritage NGO DRONAH, the US based Association of Preservation Technology International. These connections have enabled numerous research endeavours internationally.

Harbourview (ESRC funded project) 2021-22 PI Oriel Prizeman Co I Dr Elizabeth Shotton, University College Dublin
AHRC funded project: Shelf-Life\; Re-imagining the future of Carnegie Public Libraries (AHRC funded project) 2016-21 \; \;PI Oriel Elizabeth Prizeman, Co-I Prof Chris Jones COMSCI, Co-IProf Alistair Black University of Urbana Champaign see: Carnegie Libraries of Britain
Eco-Hammam: Engaging key stakeholders with bespoke low-carbon technologies for lighting, heating and water recycling to sustain a Moroccan Heritage. (AHRC funded) 2020-2021 PI Dr Magda Sibley, CoI Prof Chris Tweed See ECO-HAMMAM &ndash\; Share the resources, save the planet!
Hygrothermal Monitoring of Timber-Frame Replacement Infill Panels. (Historic England funded project) \; \;2018-2021 PIDr Chris Whitman, CoI Prof Oriel Prizeman
Tamil Temple Towns: Conservation and Contestation (AHRC &ndash\; ICHR funded project) (2018-2021) PI Prof Adam Hardy, Co-I Professor Oriel Prizeman, Co-I Dr Crispin Branfoot SOAS
Correlating maintenance, energy efficiency and fuel poverty for traditional buildings in the UK (Cadw, Historic Scotland, Historic England funded project) 2018-2021 PI Professor Oriel Prizeman, RAs: Dr Chris Whitman, Max Lacey Barnacle
BECAMI \; \;Belle Epoque Cairo Museums Itinerary (AHRC funded project) 2016-2017 \;PI Dr Magda Sibley See Belle Epoque Cairo Museums Itineraries &ndash\; مسارات متاحف الزمن الجميل (becami.com)
The Historic City of Ajmer-Pushkar: mapping layers of history, use and meaning for sustainable planning and conservation (AHRC funded project) 2016PI Prof Adam Hardy Co-I Prof Oriel Prizeman
Indian Trust for Rural Heritage Development GD Goenka University at \;Rakhighari Village Haryana India(Cardiff University Seedcorn funded project) 2016 PI Prof Oriel Prizeman
Hygrothermal Monitoring of Timber-Frame Replacement Infill Panels (Historic England funded project) 2019-2022 PI Dr Chris Whitman, Co-Is: Prof Oriel Prizeman and Prof Pete Walker (Bath)
Scoping and Safeguarding the Adrian Gibson Collection (Funding from VAG and Cardiff University CUROP programme) 2018-ongoing. PI Dr Chris Whitman. RAs: Theodora Stefan, Sharon Orton, Frank Brandon