C O N T E X T 1 7 4 : D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 27 THE IHBC AT 25 Douglas Campbell, who manages Aberdeen City Heritage Trust, was chair of the Aberdeen 2022 event committee. Speakers Thanks go to all the speakers who provided such an interesting mix of perspectives and approaches, seamlessly MC’d by IHBC chair David McDonald. Presentations ranged from high level and research-based to the highly practical, with some local flavour thrown in. They were inspiring and, at times, sobering. Seeing built heritage as a contributor, if not a solution, to environmental goals in terms of placemaking and climate change underpinned our thinking. In a country hopeful of becoming less reliant on fossil fuels and struggling to achieve a ‘just transition’ to renewables, with remnants of early nuclear industry, there is a fascinating and challenging mixed legacy of innovation, human ingenuity and endeavour that deserves to be acknowledged, alongside recognition of its deleterious impact. We live in a time where we need to do what we can to make historic buildings more thermally efficient, without inadvertently building in retrograde measures resulting in a time bomb. And we need to continuously convince of the huge contribution that traditionally constructed buildings and their embodied energy make as part of the circular economy and towards quality places; a comforting, identity-rich, wellcherished fixed point in a world of change. The current reinvention of Aberdeen through its city centre master plan and the multiple-awardwinning Fraserburgh 2021 regeneration demonstrate the value of historic built environment in town and city revitalisation. We hope that taking themes on the edge of what we do, rather than necessarily directly or practically applicable to day-to-day work, forced a reflection from first principles on why we do what we do and the positive contribution that the historic built environment can have. Tours The event committee could have organised any number of tours, both within and outside the city, all of which would have offered valuable opportunities for CPD… and potentially single malt. A great deal of planning went into tours, some of which could not run due to numbers. This was regrettable but we will capitalise on positive connections made during planning in the coming months as a means of supporting branch activity. If you managed to make it to Aberdeen in person, you will probably have your own tour highlights, thoughts and reflections. You will most likely also realise that there is much more to see in north-east Scotland than you might have expected. If you have not been before, do come and if you managed this year, haste ye back! Thanks While Aberdeen 2022 was a different kind of annual school, the IHBC, Scottish branch and the event committee embraced the uncertainties and delivered a new kind of event which successfully reacted to the circumstances and reached a broad audience, virtually and in the room. None of it would have worked without the continuing support of IHBC members, branches, delegate sign-ups, speakers, hosts, tour contributors, event sponsors and supporters, and the team in the office at the IHBC. Thanks to you all for your participation and let’s get behind IHBC Swansea 2023. Slainte! Delegates at the abandoned art-deco Tarlair swimming pool (Photo: Doane Photography)
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