Building Conservation

Nicholas Mernagh of NMA has completed an SCS accredited conservation course in conjunction with the Dublin Civic Trust 2008. Surveyor accredited in conservation at Grade III:

“Conservation works should only be carried out by persons competent in these specialist activities” (International Council on Monuments and Sites. Guidelines for Education and Training) Conservation, Historic Buildings and ‘Protected Structures’.

“A historic building is a finite, non-renewable resource which needs special skills to ensure its survival. Once original fabric is lost, the special character of the building may be destroyed, and the building’s authenticity can never be restored.” (The Heritage Council)

If the building you own is ‘historic’, a ‘Protected Structure’ or in an ‘Architectural Conservation Area’ you will need the advice of a surveyor with skills in conservation.

It is an offence for the owner of a Protected Structure to allow it to be endangered, or to carry out any works that could affect its character without planning permission, and the penalties are severe. But even if your building is not listed by the Planning Authority it can still be worthy of conservation. You may have bought your house because of its period character, or your company may have invested in a fine old building that needs work to accommodate new activities. In either case you will want to make sure that its character is not damaged in the process of any alterations or extensions you plan to carry out. You won’t want either to reduce its re-sale value - something that can easily happen as a result of inappropriate changes.

A Surveyor accredited in conservation at Grade III is qualified to provide, in relation to works appropriate to their Grade, the full range of services as described below. To advise on:

The full range of surveyor services, we can advise on are:

• The philosophy and principles of conservation;
• UNESCO, ICOMOS and other Charters, Regulations and Guidelines;
• The legal background to conservation;
• The implications of the purchase of a protected structure
• Statutory obligations for declarations, notifications and consents;
• The need for historic research and analysis
• Appropriate general repairs to historic fabric
• Appropriate new uses for historic buildings
• Applying for grants and funding for conservation works
• Contracts suitable for conservation work
• The conservation implications and need for specialist design for temporary works, demolition and shoring for historic buildings;
• Maintenance strategies and management policies for environmental protection and preservation of monuments and their contents, and sites; and to:



• Examine a historic building or site, and identify its emotional, cultural and use significance;
• Commission searches of records and archives;
• Diagnose, in broad outline, causes of decay and recommend appropriate specialist investigation;
• Define the need for specialist studies of materials and systems, the services of art and architectural historians, archaeologists, conservators and other specialist consultants; and of specialist contractors, technicians, craftsmen and tradesmen;
• Design appropriate alterations and extensions
• Document the works executed and making them accessible
• Work with inhabitants, administrators and planners to develop conservation strategies appropriate to local needs, abilities and resources;

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