IHBC’s new edition of its members’ journal Context is out – No. 185 – to ‘lift the lid on roofing’, from mill re-slating and pitching pitched roofs a Garden Suburb’s roofscape.
The IHBC writes:
Top priority
It is a paradox that historic roofs are often neglected because they cannot be seen or accessed easily, and yet for the same reason they tend to survive. A roof that is hidden from view is less likely to be subjected to inappropriate alterations. It may simply be left alone, aging and surviving better than more visible parts of the building.
Paradoxes highlight how we think about tricky subjects. Like the definition of authenticity that allows for certain Japanese timber shrines to be totally reconstructed every 20 years – to the same design, and with the same materials and craft skills – and still be considered authentically the same building. That reminds us of the paradox of the Ship of Theseus, whose timbers were supposedly replaced continually over many years until none of the original ship was left. It was still making its annual on a pilgrimage to Delos to honour Apollo, so was it the same ship or not? If not, exactly when did it cease to exist?
In the case of ruined buildings, the paradox is that some of the very things that make people value them – their decay and evidence of the passing of time – are generally arrested by conservation. Our challenge is to manage the process of any change in a way that protects the ruin’s authenticity without allowing it to disappear entirely.
With historic roofs we need to balance authenticity and function. No element of a building is more exposed to wind and rain than a roof, which is why trial and error has developed the crafting of roofs over the centuries to such great heights of ingenuity, using the available materials in ways that will keep the weather out in the severest conditions.
We no longer have that sort of time to develop building and repair practices. Today we have to adapt quickly to new circumstances: new materials; more severe weather; and the challenge of using less energy and creating less carbon.
Context 185: CONTENTS
Themed Articles
- Editorial
- Understanding pitched roofs, Madeleine Clark
- A code of practice for slate and stone roofing, Chris Wood
- Reslating an ancient water mill, Terry Hughes
- A carbon case for indigenous slate, Soki Rhee-Duverne and Jim Hart
- Successful solar generation in the historic environment, Morwenna Slade
- Sourcing Scottish slate in the 21st century, Imogen Shaw and Graham Briggs
- The roofscape of Hampstead Garden Suburb, Joe Mathieson
Feature Articles
- Conserving the postmodern legacy of the Sainsbury Wing, Alasdair Travers and Jon Wright
- The sad story of Derby Hippodrome, Derek Latham, Peter Steer and Ashley Waterhouse
Regular & Occasional features & updates
- Briefing
- Out of Context
- Periodically
- The writer’s voice
- Letter
- Law and policy
- Vox pop
- Reviews
IHBC Updates
- IHBC celebrates World Heritage UK’s anniversary, Rebecca Thompson
- Notes from the chair
- Director’s cut
- Inter alia
- New member profile
- New members
Commercial
- Products and services
- Specialist suppliers index
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)
Access the online archive and see the issue online
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
