North – Spring 2019
Parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Gressingham, Lancaster
Spectacularly located in the Forest of Bowland AONB, the Grade I listed Parish Church of Saint John The Evangelist dates from the 12th Century and its bell tower, dating from 1734, was the subject of the latest of several recent church tower studies conducted by H+R. Commissioned by the Architects on behalf of Gressingham Village Trust, we carried out a detailed condition survey of the tower’s fabric, identifying decayed timbers and causative moisture sources. H+R made detailed recommendations for: 1) grouting masonry voids to increase the capacity of the masonry to absorb water; 2) managing condensation and improving drying by the introduction of additional space heating and controlling ventilation; and 3) the repair of decayed floor timbers
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1164600
Nos. 140 & 142 Balgrayhill Road, Glasgow
The Category ‘A’ listed semi-detached villas at nos. 140 & 142 Balgrayhill Road are reputed to be Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s first commission and, this spring, was the third building by the famed Scottish architect to be investigated by H+R in recent years (following Hill House and Glasgow School of Art). As part of a preliminary investigation, we advised the client on remedial measures necessary to address issues of damp and timber decay and prevent them from re-occurring in the future
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh
Chapter House, Haughmond Abbey, Shropshire
Haughmond Abbey in Shropshire is a Scheduled Monument in the care of English Heritage and, in April of this year, H+R carried out a preliminary investigation of timber decay in the chapter house, with an emphasis on the spectacular 16th century decorative oak ceiling. Due to the significance of the heritage asset, H+R’s advice was heavily focused on non-destructive, environmental methods of addressing timber decay, aimed at achieving a net drying effect by reducing water penetration from above; reducing humidity levels by the careful control of ventilation; and introducing a solar powered electrical trace heating system behind vulnerable timber elements
https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/haughmond-abbey/
Tunstall Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent
H+R recently completed a series of detailed investigations at Grade II listed Tunstall Town Hall in order to aid the design team in defining the scope of remedial works required in the proposed £3.8m refurbishment of the facility. Investigations yielded detailed information on the condition of timber structures and residual dampness in masonry. The building has been underutilised for a number of years, and H+R previously advised on mothballing measures back in 1999
Bradford Odeon
H+R have been engaged by Bradford Live to provide advice for remediation measures to address issues of damp and decay during the upcoming redevelopment of the former Odeon Cinema in Bradford into a live entertainment and events venue, with NEC Group as the operator. In the course of the build, H+R will provide advice on urgent works to stem water penetration, accelerated drying works and remedial detailing where required in the 58,125 sq ft Art Deco facility which has been vacant since 2000
