2007 Yearbook

INSTITUTE OF HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION YEARBOOK 2007 36 I N R E V I E W well as an excitement at the prospect of a more successful future for Morecambe. CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES An essential part of any heritage professional’s work is having a good understanding of the environment, and in particular, of the specific building or site they are dealing with. This was something that I learned very early on in my studies at Dundee. Given the vast and broad nature of the subject matter that conservation officers and others are called on to deal with, continued reading and research is vital. While carrying out research for a conservation plan of an historic graveyard in Fife, I discovered the invaluable research resources provided by The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). I grabbed the opportunity to join a team there when, following a successful application, I was offered a post. RCAHMS is a national (non- departmental) governmental body with responsibility for recording, interpreting and collecting information about the built environment. Since its inception almost 100 years ago it has created a unique national collection through its own survey, collecting and research activities relating to new and well-known sites. The purpose of this work is to build a better understanding of the ever-changing landscape and places of Scotland, from earliest times to the present day, through a variety of survey and recording techniques. These include traditional and digital mapping, ground and aerial photography, measured surveys as well as historical research and analysis. The resulting material is made available to the public through the RCAHMS Search Room in John Sinclair House and increasingly via tools such as the Internet and outreach activities. I work within the Survey and Recording Group which is responsible for the immensely varied survey and recording operations of RCAHMS throughout Scotland. In my role as Architectural Survey and Recording Officer I am responsible for co-ordinating the ‘Threatened Buildings Survey’ (TBS) project within the Architecture, Industry and Maritime Section. The main remit of the TBS project is to record buildings of architectural and/or historic importance that are threatened by significant change or destruction. ‘Threats’ to buildings come in a variety of forms which include fire damage, structural damage and vandalism; long- term vacancy, neglect or inadequate maintenance; and proposals for changes in use or demolition. The latter two categories form the majority of the TBS team’s regular casework. Current projects with which I am involved range from individual buildings such as a 1930s model school that has recently been demolished, to the recording of the Tradeston area of Glasgow, a 19th century planned industrial quarter with a significant number of surviving historic buildings subject to various development proposals. Every recording case is unique and each has its own complexities. However, a typical process of recording begins with the moment that RCAHMS receives notification that either demolition or significant alteration is to occur to a building or structure of interest. A case file is then set up and Emergency recording work was required following this fire at Park Circus, Kelvingrove, Glasgow (Photo: Crown copyright © RCAHMS Ref DP009620)