Material Legacies: Heritage, Reuse and the Climate Crisis

How can existing buildings play a vital role in tackling the climate emergency, supporting sustainable development, and protecting cultural heritage?

With the built environment responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, the challenge of decarbonising development has never been more urgent. Join us for an evening of presentations and discussions with experts in heritage, sustainability and policy, exploring the challenges of reuse and heritage conservation and their social, economic and environmental benefits.

Speakers will share national and international perspectives on the reuse of historic buildings as climate assets, including case studies from Glasgow such as the ongoing renovation of The Pipe Factory. The discussion will address the financial hurdles of conservation-led development, as well as the potential gains for local economies through successful regeneration.

Join us for this free event from 5:30pm with welcome drinks, followed by a screening of new short film 'Building a Movement' at 5:40pm. Talks begin at 6:00pm, with a drinks reception to follow.

Speakers:

• Simon Sturgis (Carbon Expert & Built-Environment Consultant, Targeting Zero)

• Henrietta Billings (Director, SAVE Britain's Heritage)

• Dr Cristina Gonzalez-Longo (President of ICOMOS International Training Committee (CIF) / Senior Lecturer, Architecture, Strathclyde University)

• Nick Van Jonker (Director, Hamilton Hay Van Jonker Architects)

• Felix Wight (Director, Friends of the Pipe Factory / Commercial Director, Connected Response)

This is a unique chance to hear from experts leading real change across sectors – highlighting how heritage buildings can be central to sustainable, economically viable development in the face of the climate crisis.

'Building a Movement' (dir. Stephen Sheriff) is a new film marking 50 years of SAVE. Through interviews, archive footage and case studies, it explores how historic buildings – once neglected or under threat – have been brought back into use through public campaigning, creative reuse and legal action.

This event is delivered in partnership by SAVE Britain’s Heritage, Friends of The Pipe Factory and New Future and is part of a national programme celebrating SAVE’s 50th anniversary.

About the Organisers:

SAVE Britain’s Heritage is a national charity that campaigns to bring new life to threatened historic buildings of all types and ages. We do this through the media, the planning system and where necessary the courts – in collaboration with local groups and others.

One of its highest-profile recent campaigns was the battle to save the Marks & Spencer building on Oxford Street, London – which placed heritage and carbon centre stage at a planning inquiry for the first time.

SAVE has been at the forefront of the movement to rescue – but crucially also to reuse – historic buildings for 50 years. We want to use our 50th birthday as an opportunity to equip a new generation. Evidence clearly shows historic buildings are catalysts for economic growth, community development and environmental sustainability – yet 50,000 buildings a year are demolished, many of them needlessly. Throughout the year we will be celebrating stories of rescue and reuse while also drawing attention to buildings in need of a champion.

Join the movement!
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Friends of the Pipe Factory CIC was formed in March 2020 and brings together the knowledge and expertise of three organisations; Articulate Cultural Trust, INCH Architecture + Design and Strange Field in a shared ambition to form a permanent home that fuels the creativity that will generate pathways to pursue individual learning and development in the fields of art, architecture and design. With young people and our communities at its heart.

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New Future is a Glasgow-based accelerator for cultivating sustainable construction and retrofit skills in the built environment. Founded as a Community Benefit Society, NF equips construction sector participants with the skills required to preserve our existing, and decarbonise our future, built environment. By delivering low-impact retrofit, heritage and new-build skills training NF enables new and existing construction workers to become versatile and multi-skilled experts in the practical application of sustainable, low-carbon, bio-based and circular materials.

The novel model of retrofit and heritage training will be delivered through live construction projects, rehabilitating disused and at-risk buildings for community benefit. NF views access to specialist climate literacy education and sustainable construction skills as essential to addressing some of the most significant social, environmental and economic challenges of our time, aiming to empower construction professionals and urban communities with the agency to accelerate environmental and economic transformation.