Centre for Sustainable Building Conservation

Our research addresses critical challenges for the future care of built heritage with respect to climate change, social and environmental sustainability.

With an eye on strategic priorities, we work across disciplines to progress global expertise from digital documentation of contested heritage to life cycle analysis and environmental monitoring.

We collaborate at home and internationally, supporting effective and symbiotic relationships with partners such as Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Cadw, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Association for Preservation Technology, DRONAH, CIPA, academic partners: SPA Bhopal, University College Dublin, SOAS, The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Politecnico di Milano.

Projects

A terrestrial laser scan of Sri Meenakshi Temple

Tamil Temple Towns: Conservation and Contestation

The project aims to provide an authoritative body of research to inform inclusive and sustainable guidelines for heritage conservation and management in the temple cities.

Protecting our built heritage and collections

Cardiff University leads one of 31 projects benefitting from £37m boost for conservation and heritage science

Correlating maintenance, energy efficiency and fuel poverty for traditional buildings in the UK

The study seeks pathways to demonstrate that better maintenance of traditional buildings could reduce energy costs in the context of climate change.

The historic city of Ajmer-Pushkar: mapping layers of history, use and meaning for sustainable planning and conservation

A study in the walled city of Ajmer, and nearby Pushkar, to develop inclusive, informed and sustainable planning decisions for public spaces in historic Indian cities.

Shelf-Life – Re-imagining the future of Carnegie Public Libraries

Shelf-Life asks if the uniquely controlled procurement of over 2600 public buildings across Britain and America around 100 years ago by the Carnegie Library Programme could benefit from some systematic thinking for their re-vitalisation at a time of crisis.

small white timber-framed house behind a wall

Hygrothermal Monitoring of Timber-Frame Replacement Infill Panels 

This project looked at the risk of interstitial condensation and increased moisture content within replacement infill panels for timber-framed buildings.

Terrestrial Laser Scan of Port Eynon, April 2021

Harbourview

Raising awareness of the importance of harbours as coastal heritage.

Externally funded consultancy

Title	Funding agency/partners	Date	Value
Sustainable Building Conservation consultancy (Professor Oriel Prizeman): National Slate Museum.	DCA Consultants	2022	£6,675
Consultancy services to Historic England in relation to energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in connection with climate change adaptation and mitigation (Dr Chris Whitman).	Historic England	2020–21	£13,522
Laser Scan Elements of Caerphilly Castle (Professor Oriel Prizeman).	Taliesin Construction	2014–15	£5,384
Expert advisor Grants for Places of Worship Wales (Professor Oriel Prizeman).	The National Lottery Heritage Fund	2013–14	£5,564