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H+R are pleased to be supporting the refurbishment of the former Surrey County Hall in Kingston working closely with Historic England and the Conservation Officer.  We had previously investigated the spectacular bell tower when the building was still occupied by the Council.  Now the building is to be converted, the client will be drawing on our expertise in steel and concrete within listed structures as well as Heritage Consultancy support.   H+R have investigated Bush House for UCL in relation…

They key event of the month was the International Conference ‘Building Pathology 24’. Organised by SOCOTEC with the impetus and content provided by H+R and Oxford Brookes University, over 200 delegates attended an excellent programme of lectures over two days with a conference dinner at Magdalen College. The last Building Pathology Conference took place in 1992, so it is a very welcome return   The conference focussed on sustainable and cost-effective ways of addressing deficiencies in new, existing, and traditional…

High Summer on a project in Orkney meant very long light filled evenings to extend into, in order to complete the time-limited investigations of the Historic Longhope Lifeboat Station. The tidal range was significant, so accessing timbers at the very foot of the ramp necessitated a seaweed scramble back and forth   Some interesting historic building projects in the month included Headley Court where Prof. Archie McIndoe pioneered his plastic surgery techniques at the beginning of WWII. The ‘Guinea Pigs’….

H+R were pleased that the recently announced RICS London awards featured the heritage award for the refurbishment of The Old Curiosity Shop in (Covent Garden) London.  This famous building was comprehensively surveyed by H+R during the contract phase.  Congratulations to our long standing friends at Ayesa   Work commenced for the House of Annetta charity at 25 Princelet Street in Spitalfields. A splendid survivor typical of the area.  We were also gratified to see the large spread in the Shoreditch…

‘Juneary’ has been a factor in the workload this month with heavy rain affecting buildings and their materials. There has been an increase in enquiries relating to the vulnerability of cross laminated timber. H+R’s careful yet incisive investigative approach repeatedly pays dividends to our clients, who have the advantage of being able to plan forward with clarity and confidence in relation to remedial strategy   It was a pleasure to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of Alan Baxter and Associates…

H+R surveyors are pleased to be involved with the progressive renovation of the fascinating church of St Bartholomew’s The Great, adjacent to our other project work at Smithfield Market and Barts Hospital. To work so high, on this occasion, around the timber cupola was to have a privileged overview of the City of London   The stunning Heythorp House in Oxfordshire benefitted from some careful analysis of incipient damp and decay issues affecting the magnificent interiors. Original internal rainwater downpipes…

A wet month which has led to an uptick in enquiries relating to penetrating damp. Heavy rainfall has been exploiting inadequate maintenance regimes, design weaknesses and poor site discipline during the contract phase. H+R are heavily engaged with three major CLT decay cases currently, all the result of these issues   Particular projects have included the Henley Building in Kent, which is a notable Art Deco structure built for the company of that name who were leaders in the manufacturer…

Spring is emerging at Netley with Primroses abounding and we’ll shortly witness the explosion of Cowslips and Bluebells having now seen the Snowdrops past their best.  Come May and June the wildflower meadows at Netley will be covered with the many species of native orchids we have   Dragging us away from the natural world meant intensive surveying work on a range of challenging projects including the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford, the Palais de Danse in St Ives…

After a gap of a couple of years it was interesting to return to Swansea.  Our work at the prison now being complete it was time to turn our attention to a terrace of houses, now scheduled for refurbishment. The houses were of interest due to Cambrian Place being one of Swansea’s older streets, its architecture dating from 1821, running from the Royal Institution (Museum) to the River Tawe and in close proximity to the town’s original proper dock  …

The beginning of 2024 has really been one of Hogmanay rather than a ‘Happy New Year’, as H+R’s work has been largely in Scotland with specialist surveys at Fort George on the timber Ravelin Bridge for Historic Environment Scotland and at the large redevelopment of the old Bangour Hospital outside Edinburgh notably for its selection of Grade A buildings, particularly the Chapel in the Romanesque style by the Architect Harold Tarbolton.  The hospital was one of the first in the…

Another year draws to an end and the Netley office Christmas tree this year was laden with natural fir cones which apparently only appear on trees over 25 years old which is an interesting thought in terms of what projects H+R would have been engaged with towards the end of the last century when the tree was seeded   Much activity in the build-up to Christmas has seen further involvement at Uppark for the National Trust, the London Chest Hospital,…

H+R’s Eastern Office in Newark, staffed by David Watt and Katie McAndrew, has been kept busy over the past months with surveys, project work, contract administration and consultancy. One highlight early in the year was being appointed to prepare a conservation management plan for the Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School in London. The building has a fascinating history and houses important archive and library collections on Marxism, the history of socialism and the working-class movement as well as related…