Matthew Wellesley-Smith

Background

Matthew has several years of experience working in building and energy conservation: As a project manager of building refurbishments, a designer of building integrated renewable energy systems, and as a technologist delivering design and installation advice for improving comfort and energy use in traditional buildings. This role also included consultancy work for DECC and the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance on moisture control strategies for buildings, and delivery of guidance to National Trust surveyors on how to approach energy efficiency. He has worked closely with leading building physicists at UCL on the same subject and contributed analysis to the SPAB Building Performance Survey.

After graduating with an MA at the University of Edinburgh, his first MSc culminated in research on the interrelationship between moisture levels of embedded timbers and brick in walls with restricted drying potential. He is following this with further studies toward an MSc in building conservation.

Areas of Practice

Matt joined H+R in 2018 as a specialist surveyor.  Matt’s principal areas of expertise are climate change resilience and the hygrothermal impact of energy efficiency measures on traditional buildings. He closely follows developments in environmental monitoring techniques and moisture modelling software which can be used to minimise the need for destructive investigation. He sits on the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings technical working group for monitoring and modelling moisture in buildings.