C O N T E X T 1 3 8 : M A R C H 2 0 1 5 49 Book reviews The nature of the building Practical Building Conservation: Building Environment English Heritage, Ashgate, 2014, hardback, 664 pages, liberally illustrated, ISBN 978 0 754645 58 0, £65 (website price £58.50) This is the ninth book in the series of 10. When the set is listed, the Conservation Basics volume heads the set as this volume onBuilding Environment closes it. The book is well written and easy to read. It is well illustrated, and has a number of tables and guidance that could be regarded as checklists. Nonetheless, reading it does not leave a feeling of total satisfaction, and the question that arises is whether it seeks to cover too much. Before delving into further critique, it is worth describing its content. There is a brief introductory chapter, followed by a section looking at building science, and another considering how buildings interact with the environment. As the book itself states in the opening paragraphs, ‘for this reason a good deal of introductory material is included’. Most experienced practitioners among us should be familiar with the general content of these opening sections, but they provide a useful reminder.They would provide good introductory material for students and those new to dealing with the built environment (whether historic or not).The next section contains a useful overview of the many different methods and materials that might be used to control the interior environment. Again, this should be basic stuff for experienced practitioners. The following chapter looks at deterioration and damage.This is a vast subject in its own right and the chapter can only touch on some of the basics, but it usefully deals with the more common problems, causes of deterioration, and so on. It is followed by an assessment of the building environment in which different methods are considered, including some specialist techniques.Then there is a short chapter on diagnosis that is taken up in a large part by a table looking at common issues, possible causes and actions to support diagnosis.This is useful, but limited in its scope, there being a wide range of other books on the market that deal with such matters in greater detail. A useful flowchart that could aid diagnosis provides a helpful reminder of the diagnostic decisionmaking process. The penultimate section looks at care and repair, and discusses interventions as well as alterations. Again there is much useful information, but it provides an introduction rather than delving into detail. The final section deals with special topics specifically relating to ‘Buildings and Human Health’, ‘Dealing with Disasters’ and ‘Improving Energy and Carbon Performance’. In the first few pages of the book, it is stated, ‘at times the conclusions we have drawn will be familiar to most readers, at others they may be at variance with the accepted wisdom’. I suspect this comment relates primarily to the section dealing with energy and carbon performance. For some years now, it has become apparent that some of the measures we accept as good practice are not necessarily appropriate for all buildings and specifically historic buildings. In fact, there is increasing concern that some of the practices are not necessarily appropriate for modern buildings. Building Environment makes this point forcibly, stating that buildings need to be considered holistically rather than blindly adhering to accepted practice and regulation. For some readers this may come as a shock, particularly if it seems that works undertaken over the past five to 10 years may now be regarded as unnecessary or inappropriate.The concerns are that some of the common methods and good practice do not adequately deal with energy and carbon performance, and could lead to more rapid deterioration of historic fabric and a decline in internal comfort, with detrimental impact on the internal environment.The issues here challenge professionals and regulators of the built environment to reconsider our approach. I welcome the fact that here we have a high-profile book prepared to question such matters. The underlying message presented is that when dealing with historic buildings in particular (and I would argue that it applies to any building) it is important that one first understands the nature of the building and properly assesses the impact of any intervention. Yet, despite my welcome of the final sections, I do have some concerns. Quite rightly the book sets out the ideals and principles to follow. It also acknowledges that there will be instances where some of these ideals can not be achieved and that compromises have to be made. For example, in the section dealing with assessment it suggests that change of ownership inspections provide a good chance to obtain baseline data about the building.The reality is that those undertaking pre-purchase surveys are working to tight time and cost limits such that it is rarely a good time to obtain any more data or information than is required for the task at hand.What the book usefully does is to set out the ideals, and it is for us to establish how close to those we can achieve in our day-to-day work depending on circumstances, the client’s budget, time constraints and so on. Where there is cross-referencing within the volume itself, though, no page numbers are given and it is left for the reader to go hunting through the volume to find the relevant pages. This is a minor inconvenience. To return to my main concern: the volume tries to cover too much ground. Its cross-referencing to other volumes in the series is useful, but if one has the others there is much in this book that becomes redundant, because all this does is summarise and provide pointers back to the other volumes. I am therefore left with the question: is this a valuable stand-alone book, or an important part of a series? As a stand-alone book, it works well. I can see it being used by students as part of their basic education. It may also act as an aide memoir for professionals. However, it would leave the reader hunting down further information in other volumes or other
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