Historic & listed buildings


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Rising to the challenge of conservation


With the growing age of our building stock, the number of listed buildings is only set to grow above the ½ million+ already “on the books”. In refurbishing, repurposing those buildings, we face a specific predicament – that of balancing the essence of the fabric whilst bringing the interior up to modern expectations. Ian Rogers, sales director, Gilberts Blackpool elaborates


N


ote I say expectations. Historic buildings need not fully comply with Building Regulations Approved Document F but should meet the


requirement as far as reasonably practicable. Extensions to such buildings do however have to comply. But how do you judge “reasonably practicable’? It’s a careful balancing of being sympathetic to


the overall aesthetic, ensuring adequate ventilation to protect the building fabric, delivering modern functionality with a mind to the cost/budget. The majority of heritage buildings were reliant on natural ventilation and were designed with good air paths. There wasn’t the means of constructing to modern airtight standards, so inevitably there was/is fortuitous ventilation through designed for and unplanned pathways etc. But today we want to conserve energy, keep warmth in, and not be sitting, working, relaxing in a draughty space. Advances in modern design, construction methods, materials and testing mean it is easier


10 June 2023 than before to solve the problems. Utilising Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) we


can develop a theory and test it in advance, tweak and adjust. Modern manufacturing has similarly advanced, so it is easier to produce bespoke small runs or one-offs. Overlying it all is the ability to think beyond


the conventional, and the technical knowledge to understand how we can refine and adapt. Concealed bulkheads can provide a discreet ducting path. Variation in plenum design optimises


further the flexibility of off-the-peg or bespoke solutions.


Using modern technology


At the Grade 1 listed, 150 years old Natural History Museum’s Hintze Hall, CFD modelling was put to good use to validate the use of standard natural ventilation louvres with the addition of high performance cassette louvres. High level glazed windows were fitted with ventilation louvres in place of the glass to deliver the necessary exhaust capability. This balanced the very specific conditions required for the exhibits with adequate air movement for modern visitor numbers.


The Grade II India Buildings in Liverpool was


being transformed into a modern mixed-use scheme. CFD enabled validation of the ventilation strategy before even one component was ordered. Use of concealed bulkheads and standard modern


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