Retrofitting Sir Basil Spence’s Canongate housing : Balancing conservation and energy efficiency
Abstract
The Canongate project is a complex conservation and energy efficiency project, involving a large group of owners and leaseholders and support from a number of grant funders. It was a pilot project for the delivery of sensitive retrofit works within the World Heritage Site, and as such faced significant scrutiny. The formation and communication of this group was supported by Edinburgh World Heritage. The team adopted an evidence-based design methodology to justify decision making throughout the retrofit design process, and to allow us to present a clear logic, helping to build consensus among a wide range of owners and interests. This paper describes the variety of survey and analysis methods adopted as part of the Canongate project and discusses how these shaped the project approach. It also explores the tension between the often competing interests of conservation and energy efficiency, and the challenges faced in delivering an effective deep retrofit project without diminishing the significance of a historic site.
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Author's Biography
Scott Abercrombie is a conservation-accredited architect and Associate Director of John Gilbert Architects. He holds conservation accreditation from RIBA and accreditation in interdisciplinary conservation from IHBC.
Barbara Lantschner is an experienced Building Performance Specialist leading the Hab-Lab building performance consultancy service at John Gilbert Architects. Barbara holds a wide range of sustainability accreditations, including Level 5 Diploma in Retrofit Coordination and Risk Management, BREEAM Accredited Professional (AP) and Certified Passivhaus Consultant/Designer (CEPH).
Hugo Target is an architect with over 10 years’ experience working with Scottish listed buildings and four years working in sustainable and energy-efficient architecture. He has a particular interest in modernist design and has contributed to a number of papers and exhibitions on the urban design, furniture and architecture of British modernists.
Citation
Abercrombie, Scott, Lantschner, Barbara and Target, Hugo (2022, March 1). Retrofitting Sir Basil Spence’s Canongate housing : Balancing conservation and energy efficiency. In the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, Volume 10, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/BIFI5964.
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