The SPAB aims to assist building conservation professionals by providing training schemes, courses and CPD training events, technical advice and publications.
TECHNICAL ADVICE & PUBLICATIONS:
For free building conservation advice, telephone the SPAB Technical Advice Line on 0207 456 0916 (Monday - Friday, 09:30 - 12:30).
Books, technical pamphlets and information sheets are available to purchase online.
COURSES & TRAINING:
The SPAB Repair of Old Buildings Course has been run since the 1950s, and welcomes architects, surveyors, planners, buildings archaeologists, structural engineers, conservation officers, builders, craftspeople and other building conservation professionals. This intensive five day course of lectures and visits is held in the spring and autumn of each year.
Masterclasses and Seminars are held throughout the year - check our events listing for updates and more information.
Courses currently open for bookings are listed at the bottom of this page.
Our courses and CPD training events are recognised by the IHBC for CPD.
The SPAB also offers two training schemes for professionals:
• the nine month Lethaby Scholarship for early career architects, building surveyors and structural engineers; and
• the six month William Morris Craft Fellowship for early career, qualified building craftpeople.
The next annual Building Conservation Summer School for building surveyors, designed by the RICS in conjunction with the SPAB, will run from 8
- 12 September 2013. Booking is now open through the RICS website.
CONTACT US:
Email us or telephone 0207 377 1644 for more information about SPAB courses and training.
Technical Days
The Repair of Old Buildings Course: an introduction to the SPAB conservation approach
DATE: 7 - 11 October 2013
VENUE: St Andrew Holborn, London, EC4A 3AB
FEE: £750
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
Includes one night accommodation (Wednesday), meals, transport and insurance during the site visits only.
The course fee does not include accommodation, transport and meals in London.
The fee also includes one year individual membership to the SPAB - more
information about this will be available once your booking has been
confirmed.
This popular short course has been presented by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings since the 1950s.
Run over five days, this course delivers AN INTENSIVE PROGRAMME OF LECTURES AND SITE VISITS to building repair projects.
Presented by leading building conservation professionals, the Repair
Course considers British and international approaches to the
conservation of old buildings.
The SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance - established by William
Morris in 1877 - underpins the course programme of case studies,
presentations and site visits.
Please note: there may be scaffolding to climb on some sites.
Hard hats will be provided, but delegates will need to be prepared with steel toe-capped footwear and suitable clothing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the course, including a sample programme, visit our Repair Course page.
The Repair of Old Buildings Course is recognised by the IHBC for CPD, and the RIBA for Advanced CPD.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name with job title/occupation and organisation name.
Please also let us know if the delegate has any special dietary or access requirements.
'The discussions/site visits made me think about philosophy - my own and in relation to projects. Some lectures were directly relevant to my work and this gave me food for thought in relation to these topics.'
Conservation Officer - May 2013 Repair Course
'The broadness of the overview of the course, the visits and the lecture topics were great. The opportunity to discuss the various topics, projects and approaches with others from such a variety of professions was also very useful.'
Architect - May 2013 Repair Course
'It was a great course – the best CPD I have ever attended. It is already making a huge difference to my everyday work.'
Architect - October 2012 Repair Course
'The immersion into conservation was total and there was a real
sense of emerging a different practitioner at the end of the week!'
Architect - October 2012 Repair Course
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Conserving Historic Buildings: masterclasses presented by the SPAB and Historic Royal Palaces
Following the success of the 2012 masterclasses the SPAB is delighted to continue in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces to run further masterclasses in 2013.
The masterclasses are likely to meet Continuing Professional Development requirements for those who are professionally involved with buildings (e.g. architects, surveyors, engineers, planners, builders, contractors, craftsmen and women).
Repair of Gauged Arches Masterclass
DATE: 27 September 2013
VENUE: Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AU
FEE: £150
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
The fee includes refreshments and lunch.
COURSE LEADER: Emma Simpson - a brickwork conservation specialist with over 20 years of knowledge and expertise in this field.
The aim of this masterclass is to look at issues of repair and conservation of gauged arches through specific case studies.
Delegates will also gain experience of practical techniques by direct hands-on work. Places on the masterclass are limited to allow for small group sizes.
Topics that will be covered during the masterclass are:
Theory
- What is a gauged arch?
- Demonstration of a range of different types of arches.
- What can go wrong with gauged arches and why?
- Typical defects and reasons for failure (case studies).
- When to intervene and how much?
- Inappropriate repairs and unnecessary interventions.
Practical
- Understanding and setting out the geometry of a segmental gauged arch.
- How to replace an individual voussoir (removing, shaping and replacing).
- Re-pointing.
- Mortar repairs.
Please note: delegates will need to be prepared with steel toe-capped footwear and suitable clothing; all other PPE will be provided on the day.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name with job title/occupation and organisation name.
Please also let us know if the delegate has any special dietary or access requirements.
"I enjoyed the course very much. It is very helpful to my learning and development as an Architect as I now understand how something outlined on a computer is composed and repaired. Thank you."
Architect
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Conserving Historic Buildings: masterclasses presented by the SPAB and Historic Royal Palaces
Following the success of the 2012 masterclasses the SPAB is delighted to continue in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces to run further masterclasses in 2013.
The masterclasses are likely to meet Continuing Professional Development requirements for those who are professionally involved with buildings (e.g. architects, surveyors, engineers, planners, builders, contractors, craftsmen and women).
Repair of Cut & Rubbed Chimneys Masterclass
DATE: 31 October 2013
VENUE: Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AU
FEE: £150
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
The fee includes refreshments and lunch.
COURSE LEADER: Emma Simpson - brickwork conservation specialist with over 20 years of knowledge and expertise in this field.
The aim of this masterclass is to understand how 'cut and rubbed' chimneys are built and repaired using the example of the conservation project at Hampton Court Palace - Cardinal Wolsey's chimney stack.
Delegates will also gain experience of practical techniques by direct hands-on work. Places on the masterclass are limited to allow for small group sizes.
Topics that will be covered during the masterclass are:
- Dismantling and re-building techniques.
- Cutting new shapes.
- Cutting and rubbing.
- How do we make a replacement mould?
- How do we lay 'cut and rubbed' brickwork?
Please note: delegates will need to be prepared with steel toe-capped footwear and suitable clothing; all other PPE will be provided on the day.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name with job title/occupation and organisation name.
Please also let us know if the delegate has any special dietary or access requirements.
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Old House Eco Course - The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, with Marianne Suhr and Roger Hunt
DATE: 16 November 2013
VENUE: Armada House, Bristol, BS1 4BQ
FEE: Individual £110
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
The course fee includes lunch, refreshments and a signed copy of Old House Eco Handbook by Marianne Suhr and Roger Hunt.
Accommodation is not provided.
With rising energy bills and the wish to cut carbon emissions high on many people’s personal agenda, the need for sustainable, energy efficient buildings is increasingly urgent.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings presents a NEW one day course
on how to make your house – whether it is medieval and timber-framed,
Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian – energy efficient and low carbon
without devaluing the future sustainability or character of the
building. Led by Marianne Suhr and Roger Hunt, authors of the new Old House Eco Handbook (published in association with the SPAB), the course will present case studies and lectures based on the themes of the book.
In the rush to be ‘eco’, compatibility between traditional buildings
and modern technologies and materials can be mistakenly ignored. The
course will explain how to avoid potential problems and will consider an holistic approach to retrofitting, while presenting a background to the latest building science with practical advice and examples of best practice.
The course will be relevant primarily for owners of period properties
(pre-1919), but also for professionals who may need to brief their clients
(homeowners) on improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.
There will also be an opportunity to present your questions to a Panel
of building conservation experts, and to speak to a SPAB Technical
Adviser. Delegates will also receive a signed copy of the newly
published Old House Eco Handbook (RRP £30).
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the course, download a Provisional Programme.
Please note that this programme may be subject to change; a final
version will be sent to all confirmed delegates in advance of the
course.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name and the style/period house the delegate rents, owns or manages.
Please also let us know if the delegate has any special dietary or access requirements.
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Treating Dampness in Old Buildings: current SPAB thinking - Short Seminar
DATE: 19 September 2013
TIME: 2.45 - 5pm
VENUE: The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 37 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY
FEE: £35
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
Dampness can be the biggest enemy of old buildings, but all too often even greater harm is inflicted on old buildings by inappropriate remedial treatments. The various forms of dampness require different solutions, and the approach adopted for treating problems in traditional (pre-1919) buildings differs from that adopted as standard for their most recent counterparts.
Similarly, the differences in the construction of traditional buildings compared to modern ones and, consequently, the methods and materials suitable for avoiding dampness has complications when undertaking alterations - including energy efficiency improvements, a highly topical area.
This short seminar will consider a conservative approach that not only aims to cure or manage dampness, but retains (rather than inadvertently helps destroy) the special interest of older buildings. Led by Douglas Kent, SPAB Technical and Research Director, this short seminar will be suitable for building conservation professionals and owners of old properties. The event is recognised by the IHBC for CPD.
Topics to be covered include:
- Crucial differences in the varying construction and performance of traditional buildings, compared to more modern buildings (informed by the Society's current and ongoing research activities).
- Signs, symptoms and causes of dampness, including whether or not 'rising damp' really exists.
- Effective diagnosis of dampness, including the extent to which it is important to maintain 'breathability'; the unintended harm frequently arising from standard damp-proofing or tanking; and the pros and cons of French drains.
- Avoiding dampness problems when altering old buildings, especially condensation as a result of measures to improve their energy efficiency.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name with job title/occupation and organisation name.
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The Repair of Old Buildings Course: an introduction to the SPAB conservation approach
DATE: 7 - 11 October 2013
VENUE: St Andrew Holborn, London, EC4A 3AB
DEPOSIT FEE: £100, non-refundable. The balance (£650) will be required four weeks before the course start date.
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
Includes one night accommodation (Wednesday), meals, transport and insurance during the site visits only.
The course fee does not include accommodation, transport and meals in London.
The fee also includes one year individual membership to the SPAB - more
information about this will be available once your booking has been
confirmed.
This popular short course has been presented by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings since the 1950s.
Run over five days, this course delivers AN INTENSIVE PROGRAMME OF LECTURES AND SITE VISITS to building repair projects.
Presented by leading building conservation professionals, the Repair
Course considers British and international approaches to the
conservation of old buildings.
The SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance - established by William
Morris in 1877 - underpins the course programme of case studies,
presentations and site visits.
Please note: there may be scaffolding to climb on some sites.
Hard hats will be provided, but delegates will need to be prepared with steel toe-capped footwear and suitable clothing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the course, including a sample programme, visit our Repair Course page.
The Repair of Old Buildings Course is recognised by the IHBC for CPD, and the RIBA for Advanced CPD.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name with job title/occupation and organisation name.
Please also let us know if the delegate has any special dietary or access requirements.
'The discussions/site visits made me think about philosophy - my own and in relation to projects. Some lectures were directly relevant to my work and this gave me food for thought in relation to these topics.'
Conservation Officer - May 2013 Repair Course
'The broadness of the overview of the course, the visits and the lecture topics were great. The opportunity to discuss the various topics, projects and approaches with others from such a variety of professions was also very useful.'
Architect - May 2013 Repair Course
'It was a great course – the best CPD I have ever attended. It is already making a huge difference to my everyday work.'
Architect - October 2012 Repair Course
'The immersion into conservation was total and there was a real
sense of emerging a different practitioner at the end of the week!'
Architect - October 2012 Repair Course
Hide Product Description
Conserving Historic Buildings: masterclasses presented by the SPAB and Historic Royal Palaces
Following the success of the 2012 masterclasses the SPAB is delighted to continue in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces to run further masterclasses in 2013.
The masterclasses are likely to meet Continuing Professional Development
requirements for those who are professionally involved with buildings
(e.g. architects, surveyors, engineers, planners, builders, contractors,
craftsmen and women).
Metalwork Conservation: Tijou Unravelled
DATE: 12 September 2013
VENUE: Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AU
FEE: £150
Refunds will not be made in the event of booking cancellations less than two weeks before the course.
The fee includes refreshments and lunch.
The aim of this masterclass is to understand more about the decay, specification and conservation of metalwork using Jean Tijou's work at Hampton Court Palace as an example. This masterclass will
be presented by experts in the field of conservation, architecture and metalworking.
Delegates will also gain experience of practical techniques by direct
hands-on work.
Topics that will be covered during the masterclass are:
- Overview of Tijou at Hampton Court Palace, including a walking tour.
- Case studies to illustrate the decay, specification and conservation of metalwork.
- Workshop demonstration of repousse metalworking technique.
- On site review of decay mechanisms and repair to the Tijou screens.
- Hands-on introduction to forging.
Please note: delegates will need to be prepared with
steel toe-capped footwear and suitable clothing; all other PPE will be
provided on the day.
BOOK ONLINE or download the BOOKING FORM to be completed and returned with payment to the SPAB.
When booking online, please provide the full delegate name with job title/occupation and organisation name.
Please also let us know if the delegate has any special dietary or access requirements.
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