46 CONTEXT 181 : SEPTEMBER 2024 New member profile Anna Webster My involvement with historic buildings has always been inevitable, I suppose, due to spending much of my childhood playing hide-and-seek in graveyards of fire-damaged churches and marvelling at intricately decorated interiors of stately homes. My mother, Elizabeth Hirst, founded Hirst Conservation in 1986, just before I was born. Consequently, family outings often doubled up as site visits, giving me an early exposure to some fantastic heritage, and a small insight into the carefully considered decision making and meticulous craft involved in its maintenance. Today, I work as a conservator with Hirst Conservation and also as an architect through my own recently formed practice, Hirst Architecture. I have worked on some truly fascinating and unique buildings, both through Hirst, as a freelance architect and for other practices including Interrobang, Webb Yates Engineers and IF_DO Architects. My work has focused on creative reuse of historic buildings. I have led on a range of community, arts and mixeduse projects, including the transformation of an art-deco ABC Cinema into a new performing arts centre for Village Underground in Hackney; the restoration of a Grade II-listed shop for The Great Frog in Soho; the conversion of the former Observer Building print works into a mixed-use community facility for White Rock Neighbourhood Ventures in Hastings; the residential conversion of a Category B listed church in the Scottish Borders; and conservation works to Grade I-listed folly buildings within a Unesco world heritage site for the National Trust. One of the things I enjoy most about being an architect working with historic buildings is the variety it brings. I relish the opportunity to work with different people and organisations, and find myself wearing many different hats. I have collaborated with charities leading training and mentorship programs to support equality in the construction industry; provided mentorship to students at the University of Lincoln; been part of the steering group and coordination team of ACAN (Architects Climate Action Network); and co-chaired the RIBA’s climate action expert advisory group. I sat on the RIBA’s jury as conservation advisor for the regional awards earlier this year; and I am currently a specialist consultant advisor for the Theatres Trust. I believe in the potential of the built environment to affect positive change and that transparent, robust collaboration is the way to facilitate that change. I was recently elected to sit on the RIBA council for the east midlands region, which I see as a great opportunity to help to steer the RIBA in addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, and to connect with local practitioners (anyone reading this please do not hesitate to reach out to me!). I am a conservation architect, accredited with the RIBA and now, happily, a full member of the IHBC. I sought accreditation from the IHBC because it is not discipline-specific; to reflect the work I do as a conservator; and to support my capacity to take on different roles within transdisciplinary practice. So far, I have benefited from being kept up to date with IHBC news and training opportunities. I hope that my membership will enable me to connect with other professionals, as I am always on the lookout for collaboration opportunities. Anna Webster is a new full member of the IHBC. Roxburgh Church, converted to a home
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgyMjA=