Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future DescriptionMA/MSc Building Conservation Graduate Conference 2026 When: 3pm Sunday 21st – 5pm Tuesday 23rd June 2026 Where: The Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester
If you are a recent graduate of a building conservation course, or part way through your programme, join us for a two-day residential retreat in the heart of the Cotswolds. Whether keen to present, or just to listen, the event offers an opportunity to network, connect and share ideas within a community of like-minded professionals and add to your CPD credits.
With no set theme, we are developing our programme to cover a wide range of conservation related topics delivered by seasoned guest speakers as well as those new to the lecture circuit. Whether an experienced speaker or looking for a friendly space to debut, please consider delivering a short presentation on an interesting topic related to building conservation
Full conference with accommodation: 3pm Sunday 21st - 5pm Tuesday 23rd June: All meals, accommodation and conference activities included: £260 BOOKING REF : FULL CONF Full conference without accommodation: 3pm Sunday 21st - 5pm Tuesday 23rd June: All meals excluding breakfast and conference activities included: £160 BOOKING REF : DAILY CONF 24 hour rate (Sun/Mon): 3pm Sunday 21st - 5pm Monday 22nd June: All meals, accommodation and conference activities included: £155 BOOKING REF : SUN-MON 24 hour rate (Mon/ Tues): 5pm Monday 22nd - 5pm Tuesday 23rd June: All meals, accommodation and conference activities included: £155 BOOKING REF : MON-TUES A limited number of bursary subsidies are available for those in financial hardship - please contact Marianne.Suhr@rau.ac.uk for information.
Building Conservation Graduate Conference Draft Programme Sunday 21st – Tuesday 23th June 2026 Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6JS
DAY ONE: Sunday 21st June 2026: Chair: Marianne Suhr
15.00 Arrive, check in and register, tea/coffee 15.45 Conference Welcome, Mariane Suhr and Hilton Marlton 16.00 ‘Trust me I’m an Influencer’ Debunking some common conservation myths - Rich Alesbury, Expertible 16.30 Traditional lead roofs – The craftsman’s perspective Alex Meadows 17.00 TBC 17.45 End of session 18:00 Evening meal 19.00 Evening presentation: A Life on the Tools - Mike Dennis 20:00 The Building Conservation Quiz
DAY TWO: Monday 22nd June 2026: Chair: Edmund Simons
08:30 Registration and refreshments 09.10 Welcome 09:15 Welsh Vernacular Building techniques – Sean Jones 09.45 O Llaith i Gynnes (from damp to warm): Low Carbon Solutions for Rural Welsh Homes - Chris Whitman, Cardiff University 10:15 Net Zero at St Peter and St Paul, Wadhurst – Theo Farringdon 10.35 Questions and discussion 10.45 REFRESHMENT BREAK 11:15 Retrofitting the SPAB’s Old House Project Mal Fryer, Malcolm Fryer Architects 11:45 Case study: The Cowshed Project – Lydia Robinson TBC 12.05 Listed buildings – A curse or a charm ? Richard Kelly 12.25 Design for Conservation: Creative Practice in Promoting Conservation Objectives - Tarek Teba, Portsmouth University 12.45 Questions and Discussion 13.00 LUNCH 14.00 Practical Demonstrations – Lead work - Alex Meadows Stained glass - TBC Traditional Carpentry - Mike Dennis Mixing limewash 15.45 REFRESHMENT BREAK 16.00 Repairing the Roofs of Blenheim Palace – Edward Lewis 16.30 No Ordinary Passion – The Life of Rory Young (Film) 17:30 END 18:00 Evening meal 18.45 Cirencester town walk and drinks
DAY THREE: Tuesday 23rd June 2026: Chair: Cassie Newland
09.00 Challenges conserving the Rock House at Holy Austin Rock – Edmund Simons. 09:30 Design for Conservation: Heritage-led Masterplanning. Alexandra Green – Oxford Brookes. 09.50 "What is the proper relationship between contemporary intervention and historic fabric?" Tim Barker 10.10 Questions and Discussion 10:30 REFRESHMENT BREAK 10.45 Assessing the Significance of Finite historic materials – Hilton Marlton, York University 11:15 Historic windows: Endangered Species or Sustainable Futures ? Marianne Suhr, RAU 11.45 Repairing the Liberty windows - Rosemary Silver 12.00 Questions and discussion 12.15 Fragments of the Past – The Man Who Saved a Million Windows 13:00 LUNCH 14.00 Against the odds: lime finishes in Cornwall - Sarah Schmitz 14.30 Earthen vernacular buildings of Nigeria – Confidence Adjoku, RAU 14.40 The Challenges of Ruin Conservation in Zanzibar - Professor Mark Horton 15.10 TBC 15.40 Discussion 16.00 REFRESHMENT BREAK 16.15 FINAL SESSION TBC 17.00 CLOSE
Please note: This programme may be subject to minor changes Recently Added |