BCD 2018

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 1 13 C AT H E D R A L COMMU N C I AT I O N S C E L E B R AT I N G T W E N T Y F I V E Y E A R S O F T H E B U I L D I N G CO N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C TO R Y 1 9 9 3 – 2 0 1 8 From this accumulated knowledge, all parties can assess, understand and grade the significance of the elements to establish conservation policies. At the Glasgow School of Art we considered this from the macro to the micro: • understanding the fabric of the building as a whole • understanding on a room-by-room basis • understanding on a piece-by-piece basis. These policies give direction, serving to define the key conservation principles and objectives of the project. They are also used to support the client’s brief, aspiration and vision beyond the immediate reconstruction. As we work through the various areas of the Glasgow School of Art we review and consider all aspects on an individual basis. The established conservation policy thus becomes a constant point of reference to ensure the integrity of the whole is maintained. LEGACIES The conservation of a fire-damaged historic building brings with it a complex dynamic which can seem at odds with a conservationist’s raison d’être. The loss of original fabric necessitates change and this can be to the wider benefit of the building because it requires owners and stakeholders to rethink their stewardship of the heritage asset. Often this future vision, to safeguard what remains, is realised in a manner which is creative and uninhibited. This can be seen in the developing proposals at Clandon Park. Invariably the building’s status also changes as a consequence of a fire, as historical and architectural value will have been compromised. The often intangible social value of the building is manifest in the public reaction to the loss. That reaction can be the necessary stimulus which ensures the recovery and future prospects of the damaged building. The conviction and depth of feeling from the public can be so strong that it establishes new parameters to which significance and value are attributed going forward. It can focus the conservation strategy where it matters to the people and their memory of a place. Consequently, if this is reinforced in the reconstruction then there is a greater possibility that the project will be considered a success. The destruction of a building’s fabric leaves behind much evidence which can yield new information and provide an alternative understanding of its heritage. It then becomes the responsibility of the design team to ensure this knowledge is enhanced, communicated and reinforced as it is likely this will precede the relative significance of the finished work. This must be done in a manner which is accessible and engaging to ensure that the legacy of the building endures beyond the reconstruction. On the Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh Building restoration this is being done by pioneering new means to document and record the reconstruction process, principally through the use of BIM. While BIM is commonplace for new-build construction, its use on heritage projects is in its infancy. (At the time of writing the only comparable enterprise is the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster.) It is the single-source repository for all our research, findings and discoveries; it is a live ‘document’ built upon throughout the project and beyond. The building information model can be used by the contractors who are undertaking the reconstruction and this is bringing an added level of sophistication and refinement, allowing the building to be better understood. Its full potential post-construction is yet to be realised but we are already seeing the benefits of adopting this technology, which supports new forms of understanding, interpretation, recording and assessment. JUSTIN FENTON BA(Hons) DipArch ARIAS ARB RIAS Accredited in Conservation Architecture (Adv) AABC is head of conservation at Page\Park Architects. IAIN KING BSc(Hons) PGDipAAD RIAS ARB RIAS Accredited in Conservation Architecture is depute of conservation at Page\Park Architects. Cutaway render of BIM model (Image: Page\Park Architects) One of the six innovative shortlisted design concepts for the restoration and rebuilding of the National Trust’s Clandon Park House, Surrey (Image: AL_A and Giles Quarme & Associates with Arup and GROSS.MAX)