• Mothballing of Vacant Historic Buildings (February)
• Conservation Engineering – repair of historic structures (March)
• Brickwork Masterclass: Chimneys (in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces) (April)
• Planning for the Future – update on the consent process for works to historic buildings. (May)
• The Repair of Old Buildings – (weeks running in May and September)

SPAB (the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) is this year once again offering technical days and afternoons specifically designed to provide information and first-hand practical experience for architects, surveyors, engineers, builders and conservation officers.

February 12: SPAB will host an afternoon session: Mothballing of Vacant Historic Buildings (venue SPAB HQ, 37 Spital Square). The best way to protect a building is to keep it occupied, even if the use is on a temporary or partial. However, it is inevitable that some historic buildings will struggle to find a use, especially in areas where the property market is weak and opportunities for sale or re-use are limited. This afternoon will highlight and discuss in detail the points made in English Heritage’s lastest guidance document, Vacant Historic Buildings: An owner’s guide to temporary use, maintenance and mothballing. This event will be invaluable to any building professional, property owner or contractor involved in looking after redundant buildings. Event starts at 1pm and lasts to 5pm, costs £50.

March 13: One day Conservation Engineering course (venue SPAB HQ, 37 Spital Square). Often, when dealing with historic buildings, engineers find themselves trying to apply modern standards and analysis methods that have little relevance or practical application to older structures. The aim of this seminar is to understand a conservation engineering approach to the appraisal and subsequent repair of historic buildings.

A group of specialist building conservation engineers will present lectures to describe their approach, demonstrating through case studies how, in the majority of cases, less is more.

• Examples of topics covered include:
• philosophy of repair
• historical building development
• common problems and their solutions
• useful sources of information
• useful repair details
• knowing the mind of the builder
• compatibility of materials
• reversibility

This event (recognised by IHBC) is likely to meet CPD requirements for those professionally involved with historic buildings: including architects, surveyors, engineers, planners, builders and contractors. We also welcome conservation and engineering students. Event starts at 9.30am and ends at 5pm, cost: £100.

April 26: A day on the repair of cut and rubbed chimneys (£135). This year SPAB has joined forces with Historic Royal Palaces to provide a day-long brickwork masterclass at Hampton Court Palace. Former SPAB Fellow Emma Simpson, a brickwork specialist with 20 years of experience, will lead the course and share her knowledge of this rich traditional craft.

Using Cardinal Wolsey’s chimney stack at the palace, Emma will show how they are built and repaired. Delegates will gain practical hands-on experience during a day that will include:

• dismantling and re-building
• cutting and rubbing
• production of moulding
• traditional techniques

May 29: Afternoon session, Planning for the Future – update on the consent process for works to historic buildings. (Venue: SPAB HQ 37 Spital Square). Understanding consent regimes is vital for all who work with historic buildings. However, the range of consent types involved – listed building, conservation area, scheduled monument consent, as well as faculty jurisdiction – can seem complex and confusing. Over the past year, change has complicated the picture further with the introduction of Planning Policy Statement 5, the Localism Act, publication of a draft national Planning Policy Framework and the announcement of other intended reforms by central government. This event is likely to meet CPD requirements for all those professionally involved with historic buildings (architects, surveyors, engineers, planners, builders and contractors). Event starts at 1pm and lasts to 5pm. Price £50

May 14-19: Spring Repair Course. October: 1-6: Autumn Repair Course. As usual, SPAB’s essential week-long course, The Repair of Old Buildings – a programme that has trained thousands of the country’s building professionals in the repair and renovation of old buildings – will run twice in 2012, in May and October.

With the downturn in the construction of new buildings, many architects and other professionals are increasingly turning to work on existing buildings. SPAB’s six-day Repair Course is for them. Run since 1951, this course has long provided training for bodies like English Heritage, The National Trust and local planners as well as numerous architects, surveyors and others in private practice.

Described by Dame Liz Forgan, former chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, as ”the best” course she had been on, it provides a mixture of expert lectures on subjects such as conservation philosophy, stonework, lime, historic structures and timber repairs. Delegates also attend site visits to historic buildings under repair. There is no other course of this kind.

Course fee: £710 (VAT exempt) – includes lectures, papers, morning coffee, afternoon tea, and coach travel to site visits. Also covers two-day tour with overnight accommodation, transport, insurance and meals when travelling.

You can see an audio-visual presentation about the course by clicking here.

For more information or to book a place on all courses described, contact SPAB courses organiser Skye Dillon on 020 7456 0915 / email: skye@spab.org.uk