Conservation Newsletter
May 2009
Projects involving the conservation or alteration of older buildings require a unique engineering approach. Where possible, structural interventions must be non-invasive and sensitive to the history of the building and the original materials used. Considerable knowledge and experience is required together with a pragmatic approach to develop an appropriate engineering solution for each project. The Practice has developed considerable experience in this field that has led to numerous commissions including work with Historic Scotland, The National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and many recognised conservation Architects and other conservation bodies. Whilst all our engineers have at least some experience of conservation the majority of these projects are handled by David, Dominic or Steve. All three have built up an extensive catalogue of experience and are currently applying for membership of CARE (Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers). Steve is also a SPAB scholar. The projects featured are some of the more recent to which we have contributed.
Logie School House
The Old Schoolhouse at Logie in Angus is the winner of a Euoropa Nostra Award, regarded as one of the highest accolades in building conservation in Europe. The school house has been saved from demolition and restored as a new home by the National Trust for Scotland's Little Houses Scheme. Judges were impressed by the way the Trust minimised changes to the building wherever possible and used traditional materials and skills to carry out vital repairs during the £390,000 restoration project. The Practice worked with Arc Architects on the Grade 'A' Listed property, a rare example of 18th century vernacular mud wall construction. The partially collapsed building was carefully restored in a yearlong project using specialist craftspeople to reinstate the building's historic character, whilst installing modern facilities.
St Peter's Seminary, Cardross
This month we have been looking at proposals to rescue St Peter's Seminary at Cardross. The seminal modernist building by Gillespie Kid and Coia (Andy MacMillan & Iszi Metzstein) fell out of use in the 1980's, and since then has been subject to vandalism and general decay becoming a modern ruin. Developers Urban Splash are considering taking on the building and the wider estate in conjunction with NVA - the visual arts charity. The building is an icon of post-war architecture. It is Grade A listed and was recently added to the '100 most endangered sites' list of the World Monuments Fund. Historic Scotland have given funding for Gareth Hoskins Architects and ourselves to carry out a feasibility study looking at the repair and conversion of the seminary building with development and improvement to the wider landscape. This is a very exciting project for us combining conservation and iconic modern architecture.
Melville Monument
The recent conservation work on the Melville Monument, with Simpson and Brown Architects, was part of the wider St Andrew Square garden project intended to open up the space to the public. The work to the monument included stone repairs, lime pointing and new timber doors. The Practice provided specialist advice for the stone repairs and fixing, which included a trip in a gate to the top of the monument to admire the view!
Greenlaw Town Hall
Greenlaw Town Hall is one of the finest buildings in Scotland. This imposing building was built in the then County Town of Greenlaw between 1829 - 1831 as the new courthouse and county buildings for Berwickshire County. The building served as the Berwickshire Courthouse up until 1904, when Duns replaced Greenlaw as the County Town. Thereafter, the building has had many uses: billets for Polish soldiers during World War Two, as a swimming pool during the 1970s, and latterly as a furniture salesroom and warehouse. Since 2001 the building has been largely vacant and its condition has deteriorated to such an extent that it is classified as 'high risk' on the Buildings at Risk Register Scotland. The Hall is Category A listed. The Trustees of Greenlaw Town Hall, in Partnership with the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, aim to save the building and deliver long-term and sustainable new uses. To that end, the pavilions will be refurbished as offices whilst the main hall will be renovated as a flexible, community-focussed space. The practice is working with Adam Dudley Architects and Morham and Brotchie Quantity Surveyors. Works are due to start on site this June.
Waterloo Steps, Edinburgh
Working with Richard Shorter Architect and landscape consultants Ironside Farrar on repairs to the steps up to Calton Hill from Waterloo Place, part of the overall improvements the Council and World Heritage Trust are making at Calton Hill. Over time the steps had become worn and were suffering from settlement due to poor drainage of the sub soil below. The retaining walls either side were bulging and overgrown with vegetation. The strategy for repair, following conservation principles, sought to retain as much of the existing stonework and iron handrails as possible. The steps were reset onto a concrete bed dowelled into the rock. The flank walls were carefully taken down and rebuilt with new drainage behind.
Pitsligo Castle
The Practice is currently working on consolidation works at Pitsligo Castle with Groves-Raines Architects. The construction of the castle began with the keep in 1424 and development continued over the next two centuries. The last resident was Alexander Forbes, a reluctant Jacobite supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was forced into hiding when his lands were forfeited after Culloden. In 1989 the castle was bought by Alexander Forbes' direct descendant Malcolm Forbes, the American publisher, who had emergency repair works executed to secure the structure of the building prior to his death in February 1990. The castle is now owned by The Pitsligo Castle Trust, who plan to stabilise the ruins and enhance their accessibility through a phased programme of works over the next five-year period. Design and appraisal work for the first of these phases will be carried out this year with a view to the actual works being carried out in 2010. These works will concentrate on the North Range of the castle, the area of most concern that is presently supported by a complex series of scaffolding and shoring that was implemented by the late Malcolm Forbes.
Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, Shetland
Sumburgh Head Lighthouse was built in 1821 and is the oldest lighthouse in Shetland. The name Sumburgh comes from Norse - Sunn Borg, the South Broch. The 56 foot high white tower has walls with two leafs of masonry to keep out the driving rain, a very early form of cavity wall. The site is understood to have been that of a much earlier Fort, and today also includes the remains of WWII concrete buildings which were a Chain Home Low Radar Station, one of the earliest in the UK. In 1991 the Station was fully automated and the Keepers finally left the Station. The former keepers cottages and out buildings (not the tower) are now owned by the Shetland Amenity Trust and are being developed as a visitor attraction. The Practice is working with Groves- Raines Architects.
Peerie Dock, Symbister, Whalsay
Another conservation job in the Shetland Islands. 'Peerie' literally means little and at Symbister we are looking at options for the repair of this small 19th Century dock for Shetland Islands Council Harbour Board. Another case of collapsing walls. The dock is a very special place for the local community being the historic focus of the Whalsay fishing industry. Everyone is keen not to fill the dock in and we hoping repairs can be carried out using the same drystone construction techniques as originally used.
Caledonian Road Church, Glasgow
Caledonian Road Church stands like a sentinel on the approach to the Gorbals area of Glasgow. The church was designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson for the United Presbyterian congregation. Thomson's three religious buildings have been described as "the finest Romantic Classical churches in the world". The architect earned his nickname "Greek" because of his style and decoration - though many of his features are more Egyptian than Greek. The Caledonia Road Church was dedicated in 1857 but declining population and membership in the area resulted in the church closing in 1962. Glasgow Corporation took it over but it was neglected and in 1965 a fire gutted the building. Attempts to demolish it were resisted but even Glasgow's celebrations as "UK City of Architecture and Design" in 1999 failed to produce any concrete plans for restoration. Now the Alexander Thomson Society with funding from Glasgow City Council is looking to regenerate the Church and site. We are working up plans with Gholami Baines Architects for new exhibition space and café within the remaining shell and a new block across the back of the site to contain studios, apartments and office for the Society.
Lews Castle, Lewis
Lews Castle sits across the harbour from Stornoway town centre with a castellated boundary and retaining wall along the harbour and river edge. Parts of wall are in a poor state and some has collapsed onto the foreshore. We are working with Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) on repair proposals to reinstate the collapsed sections of wall.
