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feature
maintenance, refurb & heritage conservation
reviving traditional british skills for contemporary heritage projects
Many of Britain’s grandest properties are steeped in history, creating a natural connection between high-end construction and traditional craftsmanship. Modernising these homes demands a highly bespoke approach, involving a meticulous process of material selection, repair-or-replace decisions and production of one-off samples for approval. Drawing on their shared experience in super-prime and listed buildings, the Design Management Team of main contractor ACT, in collaboration with SB Joinery, explore how today’s renovation projects reinterpret traditional British craftsmanship for contemporary living...
Preserving History Through Materials Selection Selecting the right materials lies at the heart of successful heritage construction, where integrity, performance and longevity must work hand-in-hand. Replicating the composition and use of historical plaster is a specialist art, as traditional lime-hair plaster takes considerable expertise to mix and apply layer-by-layer. This achieves not only authenticity but also resilience: choosing the correct plaster
maintains the long-term health of a building by avoiding breathability and compatibility issues, and tolerating movement inherent in old structures. Use of conservation grade glass produced using artisanal methods is also required for listed buildings, as glassmaking throughout history has evolved considerably. Traditional sash window glass has a subtle rippled appearance that gives historic façades their characteristic charm. By pairing a hand-drawn
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