26 C O N T E X T 1 3 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 conservation, the way in which we conserved that intangible heritage, and the methods by which we assessed it, were less clearly defined, and required discussion, collaboration and experimentation between a range of experts as well as the local community. While Nic Craith did not provide the answers as to how we might achieve this on a practical level, she certainly gave pause for thought as to the direction that a more inclusive system should take, and how we might take the tools and opportunities we have available to us now, and expand our thinking about how we assess and manage our heritage. Posy Metz Hill House harl: getting under the surface of Mackintosh It would not seem quite right to attend an IHBC annual school in Scotland without a discussion involving perhaps Scotland’s most famous architect: Charles Rennie Mackintosh.William Napier, a leading surveyor at the National Trust for Scotland, presented a paper on the conservation of harling (otherwise referred to as roughcast) at Hill House in Helensburgh, to the north west of Glasgow. The house, designed by Mackintosh for the Glasgow publisher,William Blackie, in 1904, is considered by many to be his finest residential work. Blackie was most likely attracted to Mackintosh because of his increasing reputation as an architect with flair for cutting-edge design. Napier showed a photo of Macintosh taken in around 1900, just before Hill House was designed. It shows a very dapper-looking gentleman with a wispy moustache, looking as much like an avant-garde artist of the time as a designer of buildings. Mackintosh was to the turn of the century what Foster and Rogers were to the 1970s: presenting new ideas ahead of their time, and later to be acknowledged as leading lights in international architecture. Macintosh challenged the architectural status quo – his designs were innovative – and he would have been keen to use the latest building techniques. Blackie as client also wanted something different, a rugged Scottish house devoid of external ornamentation, but on a large scale. Mackintosh turned to cement render for the final appearance of the building and as a suitably robust covering for the poor local stone. However, the cement render he chose has created significant repair problems. Was this the fault of the architect specifying a poor material or a failure of his detailing? Most likely it is a combination of both. However, Napier presented a slide of contemporary adverts showing just how confident building suppliers were of the reliability and longevity of their products (one advert bravely calling its product ‘Granite Plaster’, no less). Mackintosh would not have shied away from using what seemed at the time the ideal choice of material for the driving rain of the west coast of Scotland. Unfortunately, early photographs showed that the render had failed fairly quickly, particularly in association with the main stack. In recent years there have been several attempts at repairs to the building and removal of earlier detailing, all to no avail. To gain a better understanding of the building, Napier had turned to thermal damp surveys with computergenerated images. These had proved helpful in showing exactly where the most significant damp problems were occurring, and had highlighted that some of the earlier repair work had not solved damp problems, but actually in some cases acerbated them. So Napier now had a few dilemmas. Should the cement render be replaced wholesale with a more breathable and permeable lime mortar? Or should the existing cement be retained and localised repairs carried out with sealants? Should some of the Mackintosh detailing be reinstated, but in new, more suitable materials? Or should they use a cement product as an honest repair? Are aesthetics more important than honesty in the use of materials? Napier did not use his talk to justify what he considered to be the right approach. Instead he presented the various options and offered them up for discussion. He was also keen to hear from delegates about other buildings with similar issues. Napier sounds like a person who will take his time to fully understand the building and weigh up the various options.That is a considered conservation approach and one that such an important building deserves. Chris Bennett Creative financing at Greenlaw Andy Millar described how the conservation of GreenlawTown Hall has saved a Grade A listed building in a rural Scottish borders village from redundancy, dereliction and ultimate demolition, which would have left a large void in the identity and character of a small community. The Greek-revival Greenlaw Town Hall, designed by architect John Cunningham, was erected in 1831 as the County Buildings and Courthouse. Symmetrical in William Napier: the cement render Mackintosh chose has created significant repair problems.
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