The previous issue of IHBC’s members’ journal, Context – No. 182 – included a special update from our guest Student Awards judge for 2024, John Fidler, responding to the submissions, a sound reminder both of submissions for 2025 and the awards presentations at our 2025 School, #IHBCShrewsbury2025, on 13 June.
John Fidler writes:
Gus Astley was a key figure in the founding and development of the institute, especially from his long- held position as its membership secretary. Although no longer with us, he continues to influence the organisation through his far-sighted bequest that fosters interest among and scholarship within potential and newcomer IHBC members from the UK student body.
The awards are presented for an outstanding item of taught coursework or academic research accepted as part of either undergraduate or postgraduate courses. I want to thank IHBC director, Seán O’Reilly, and my old friend and English Heritage colleague, Chris Wood (chair of the IHBC’s education, training and standards committee), for their arm-twisting, encouragement and patience. I should also profusely thank my old Association of Conservation Officers/IHBC colleague, Bob Kindred, for steering me through the sifting process.
For this year’s awards, 32 student applications were received and processed by Peter Badcock (another colleague from the former English Heritage) and Bob Kindred. From these, nine students were shortlisted, notably eight of them from women students.
The outright winner of the Gus Astley Student Award receives £500, free attendance at the IHBC Annual School…. Those highly commended receive a GASA Certificate.
Two former students were highly commended. Hannah Daniels, formerly of Cardiff University and now a self-employed conservation builder, was highly commended for her study ‘The valorisation and sustainable reuse of West Midlands hop kilns’. This building type is otherwise poorly documented and slow to be repurposed in the region. The report could form a good basis for protecting further examples and for some de-listings on the basis of inappropriate or radical alteration for re-use. The planning issues call out for a concerted effort by Historic England and local planning authorities to create best practice in design guides for their adaptation. Maria-Elena Calderon, now senior building conservation advisor at Historic England in York, was highly commended for her University of Central Lancashire study ‘Traditional surface finishes of vernacular buildings: a perspective from the North York Moors’. Her study aims to understand historic use of surface finishes on masonry vernacular buildings in North Yorkshire. This is to inform future policy regarding removal and/ or re-application, in the context of climate change. The work is highly influenced by Tim Meek’s Lime Finishes Group regarding lime-render finishes on masonry.
The award winner was Thomas Goodwin of Oxford Brookes University and the University of Oxford, now an assistant heritage consultant with Purcell. Goodwin’s study was ‘Using ye founder kindly: restoring, razing and rebuilding historic buildings in early modern England (1660–1740)’. The topic focuses on the small number of high-profile architects of the Stuart and early Georgian period, debating whether actions were historicism or early conservation. It revises the Morris/Ruskin myth by identifying Hawksmoor as a precursor. It dwells on the important pioneering synthesis of 17th and 18th century work on repair, restoration and contextual design, extending the work of Salzman, Asa Briggs and Jane Fawcett.
Despite the charming Arctic weather we all enjoyed at the IHBC Annual School in ‘radiant’ Reading (somewhat different from that which I enjoy daily in Marina Del Rey, California), I was honoured to present the 2023 Gus Astley Student Award to Tom Goodwin at the annual school dinner. The fledgling practitioners, now at specialist conservation practices Purcell and Insall Associates, were elevated by the IHBC awards to a truly national ‘listed’ status. Speaking as a long-standing ‘scheduled ancient monument’ myself, I can confirm that career trajectories that start with student applications for scholarships and awards can indeed be rewarded with prizes and conference attendances that change lives.
See more on the IHBC’s Gus Astley Student Awards and Testimonials, with Terms etc HERE
Download the Awards notice HERE
See more on the 2023 Student Awards, presented in 2024, HERE, and on John Fidler’s appointment as judge HERE
See the 2024 Award results HERE and details on the 2025 School at which the Awards will be presented, 2025 School at #IHBCShrewsbury2025
Access Context’s online archive and see the issue online
Reading Context helps IHBC members develop their skills across all of the IHBC’s Areas of Competence, and so is a critical baseline in addressing priorities in Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
See more IHBC background and guidance on IHBC CPD and on how you might use past, current and future issues of Context
See the formal guidance paper on IHBC CPD (scheduled for update)
See more on the IHBC Competences and Areas of Competence
