Reading the Writer's House

Event details

Tuesday 13 June 2023, 2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

This session of our members' skillshare will be led by Alan Chandler and focuses on work to the Grade II listed 'Writer's House'.

About the project: The ‘Writers House’ is a highly sensitive project - the Grade II listed former home of renowned author and playwright Alan Bennett and the setting for a major film starring Dame Maggie Smith.

A mix of original late Georgian fabric and late 1960's interventions by the author owner, retaining Alan’s plasterboard was as much a subject for debate and negotiation as the original lime and lath, thus enriching the philosophical debate but limiting options for energy efficient measures even further than one is used to in historic buildings, where modern interventions are often considered sacrificial.

This is absolutely a ‘building as document’ as defined by Morris, so useful to think through what it means to conserve a palimpsest.

Extensive removals of internal fabric, plasterwork and cornices had taken place in key parts of the house and in particular the basement prior to our involvement, with much of Bennett’s 1969 kitchen left in pieces, enclosed by three overlaid tanking systems that had for decades enabled the walls to become saturated.

Major aspects of our response to the dereliction of the building were the use of Roman cement to stabilise saturated walls, the careful use of vapour open insulation where possible and the design of an innovative ventilation strategy to manage moisture without the use of modern systems.

Plasterwork was reinstated using historically run in-situ and cast cornicework based of fragments of the original, with the sympathetic restoration of joinery, doors and windows, with the discovery of the original scullery flagstone floor under a concrete screed adding to the quality of the house.

Alan Bennet has supported our project throughout, with letters to the Conservation Officer forming part of our listed building consents. The project is now complete and inhabited, and it was a great pleasure to welcome him back.

About the speaker: Alan Chandler (AADip, RIBA, SCA, FHEA) is Dean of Research at the University of East London, Director of conservation-based practice Arts Lettres Techniques and Co-Chair of the RIBA Conservation Steering Group. His research and theory into the politics of built heritage is published by Routledge in ‘The Production of Heritage’ in 2020.

About the skill-share: Run by members for members, these short and informal online sessions are a great way to learn from the expertise and experience of your fellow historic building enthusiasts. We are really grateful to everyone who has volunteered to lead a session so far. If you are interested in leading a session please get in touch with our membership team: membership[at]spab.org.uk

These sessions are only available to SPAB members, so you will need to log in to the website in order to register. Please get in touch if you don't have a log in set up yet.

IT requirements: Please note that this is an online session and will be held via Zoom.

Accessibility: please contact the SPAB before booking to discuss any special access requirements.

Image credit: Alan Chandler