Skip to content
  • Contact us
  • Careers
Search
Close
  • Structural Engineering
    • Conservation engineering
    • Architectural engineering
    • Sustainable engineering
    • Structural inspections
    • SER certification
    • Building information modelling (BIM)
    • Expert witness
  • Civil Engineering
    • Feasibility studies
    • Roads
    • Drainage
  • Projects
  • About Narro
    • Our commitment to clients
    • Our People
    • Sustainability
    • Employee Ownership
    • Graduates
  • News
  • Working with us
  • Contact
    • Edinburgh office
    • Glasgow office
    • Stirling office
    • Inverness office
    • Aberdeen office
    • Newcastle office
Menu
  • Structural Engineering
    • Conservation engineering
    • Architectural engineering
    • Sustainable engineering
    • Structural inspections
    • SER certification
    • Building information modelling (BIM)
    • Expert witness
  • Civil Engineering
    • Feasibility studies
    • Roads
    • Drainage
  • Projects
  • About Narro
    • Our commitment to clients
    • Our People
    • Sustainability
    • Employee Ownership
    • Graduates
  • News
  • Working with us
  • Contact
    • Edinburgh office
    • Glasgow office
    • Stirling office
    • Inverness office
    • Aberdeen office
    • Newcastle office

The SPAB Scholarship Experience

November 15, 2022
/
Katie Hood

Home / The SPAB Scholarship Experience

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) is one of the worlds oldest building conservation charities. It was set up in 1877 by William Morris (Designer) and Philip Webb (Architect) who wanted to form a group of like minded activists opposing the Victorian era’s large scale ‘re-Gothicising’ and destruction of the country’s built heritage.

Change was slow, and although many fantastic buildings were not able to be saved, the campaigns of the SPAB helped to spur the creation of the town planning acts in the 20th century that led to the building listing status. The SPAB Scotland Committee advocates for historic structures north of the border with casework and campaigns for buildings at risk as well as educational initiatives.

Inspecting trusses with Blackett Ord Conservation in Cumbria

As a very abbreviated summary, the SPAB believe that the materials a building is made from (fabric) and the way they were put in place, hold a buildings history. The SPAB believes that this history is the inheritance of generations to come and any removal or change to the building fabric should be carefully considered to minimise its loss. This concept leads to the following key principles:

  1. Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance! Many ills can be avoided by small acts of maintenance. If we can carry these out in time, we can avoid major losses of historic building fabric.
  2. As little as possible, as much as necessary – make durable repairs or changes where required for the use and future sustainability of a building but prioritise keeping as much original fabric as possible.
  3. Honesty and good design! Repairs or new works should not pretend to be original building fabric. A new intervention in an old building is still an opportunity for good design.

The SPAB Scholarship program has been running since the 1930s. It consists of a bursary awarded to up to 4 building design professional each year. These are generally working in heritage building conservation from the fields of Architecture, Engineering and Building surveying. This year I was selected as one of two engineers and two architects. 

Applying lime harling stabilisation and protection to degraded septaria rock at Orford Castle

The idea behind the scholarship is to accelerate the experiential learning of design professionals working in the heritage sector by getting them to see as many heritage buildings and projects as possible and meet as many people as they can that work with old buildings. In the last 7 months we have been to over 150 heritage building projects and met an even greater number of people working with them. We have met Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Archaeologists, Materials Scientists, Dendrochronologists, Bat Specialists, Policy Makers, Fundraisers, Civil Service Advisors, Homeowners, Clergy, Joiners, Carpenters, Timber Framers, Thatchers, Roofers, Slate Makers, Lime Burner, Blacksmiths, Plasterers, Masons, Bricklayers, Stone/Plaster/Paint Conservators, Stained and Plane Glazing Specialists, Millwrights, Sign writers, Rope Access Conservators, Tile makers, Faience and Terracotta producers all working to use their skills to protect our built heritage.

Lime burning at the Centre for Alternative Technologies in Wales with Stafford Homes

These meetings have allowed us to have innumerable conversations on philosophy of conservation, technical detailing, strategy, funding, failures, and successes. They have led to us putting into context our work and our thoughts and radically expanding our understanding. I have been really excited to find out how many interesting materials science questions there are in conservation. My initial training was as a scientist in a building materials research and qualification centre so it has been great to reawaken and relearn some of those concepts when talking to conservation materials experts, dendrochronologists, lime producers and brickmakers, and I look forward to being able to look at projects from a new perspective going forward.

Microscope analysis of mortar samples with Bill Revie

Within the program there is also a focus on developing an understanding of the complexities of heritage craft skills. We do this through workshops and site work with various craft professionals; Thatching, Blacksmithing, Stone Masonry, Plastering, Pointing, Bricklaying, Slate making, Roofing, Joinery, and Stained Glass. This has been one of my favourite parts of the scholarship, but also, I think one of the most important. It has made it very clear to me that in order to get the best solution for an old building, we need to bring everyone’s expertise to the table and how important it is that conversations can happen openly. It’s something I want to make sure I bring to design teams in the future.

SPAB Scholars and Fellows at the SPAB Ireland working party

We are on the closing straight for the scholarship now, with less than 2 months to go. The Team at Narro have been really supportive and I’m looking forward to being able to put all I have learned into practice at Narro in the new year.

Katie Hood is a Senior Project Engineer at Narro, currently on sabbatical undertaking a SPAB Scholarship.

Recent posts

Narro wins Mid-Sized Business of the Year Award

March 10, 2023

Narro agrees 3 year main sponsor partnership with Scottish Design Awards

February 28, 2023

Narro aims to expand Technician Team

February 23, 2023
Lily Erskine headshot

Narro gains a fourth Conservation Accredited Engineer

February 7, 2023

Narro wins Best Small & Medium UK Consultancy at ACE Awards

January 25, 2023
conservation,SPAB
PrevPreviousNarro wins at the inaugural IStructE Scottish Structural Awards
NextNarro wins Best Small & Medium UK Consultancy at ACE AwardsNext

Sign up to our newsletter

  • Site Terms and Privacy Policy
  • Business Terms and Conditions
  • ISO 14001 Environmental Policy
  • Email Disclaimer
  • BIM Mission Statement
  • Site Terms and Privacy Policy
  • Business Terms and Conditions
  • ISO 14001 Environmental Policy
  • Email Disclaimer
  • BIM Mission Statement

Find our offices

We have 6 offices across the UK. We are here to support our clients wherever they need us.

Edinburgh office
Glasgow office
Stirling office
Inverness office
Aberdeen office
Newcastle office

Contact us

If you have any enquiries, please feel free to get in touch.

Contact us
Send us an email
Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin Instagram

Copyright © 2023 Narro Associates

Website by 39steps

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT