Connecting Heritage Buildings with the Community in the 21st Century
Presented by Jonathan Louth, Arconsulting Practice Principal, Grinling Gibbons Modern Legacy Project Advisor
This FREE online talk, will count towards the annual CPD hours under the RIBA "Building, Conservation & Heritage" topic.
Jonathan will be concentrating on the redevelopment of the facilities at St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, particularly on the physical connection of new with old and the way that transforms the congregation’s/community’s use of the original buildings.
Following Canon James Cronin's invitation, being then Dean of St George’s RC Metropolitan Cathedral Southwark, I joined the Fabric Advisory Committee there in 2000. As of 3rd April 2003, following Mr Brian Anderson’s resignation, I was delighted that the Cathedral Parish appointed me to the post of Cathedral Architect. In my third 5-year term, we undertook our first 3-d laser scan survey of the interior in 2017. I was charged with designing, specifying and administering the replacement of the Energy Infrastructure to the cathedral estate, repairing and conserving all high-level masonry to the church including the re-leading of the Harry Clarke West Window with Chapel Studio, introducing a new Portal (Holy Door) into the West Front at the North Aisle, designing moveable Choir Stalls and developing a new stairwell & lift for secure access and escape in Cathedral House (Grade II). I prepared budgets and briefs for the 2021-2024 period of works and am also in my fourth 5-year term, which involves an Environmental monitoring programme, Fire management strategy, Re-ordering and security in Archbishop’s House, the introduction of new Altars and shrines, and an electronic digital-controlled LED lighting scheme.
About Jonathan;
Since 2018, I have been specialist advisor to the Grinling Gibbons Modern Legacy Project, an affiliation of ground-breaking historic and modern organisations committed to researching and integrating craft technologies - both traditional and modern - with mechanical and digital techniques throughout the built environment.
I hold a Master of Studies degree from Cambridge University, Wolfson College, in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment, in which field, the Practice was engaged with the Royal Arsenal for Greenwich Borough, with the Old Royal Naval College for The Foundation, and from 2000 till 2014 with the William Whitfield buildings known as Richmond House on Whitehall for the Department of Health.
I am an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation, a Member of the Cathedral Architects Association (CAA), and a member of the European Association of Cathedral Architects & Builders, which is one way in which I maintain my Conservation competence, including papers delivered in Hamburg, Erfurt, Basel, then last year in Valetta and Pisa, and this year in York, Greifswald and Pisa.
I served until the recent Covid-19 pandemic on the Church Fabric Repair Committee, a scrutiny panel advising the Wolfson Foundation on the award of Grants on behalf of the Cathedral & Church Building Division in Church House. I was a founding trustee of the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust.
I am currently an Estate Advisor for the historic buildings at Aylesford Priory dating from the mediaeval to C20th: the Priory shrine chapels by Adrian Gilbert Scott include extensive 1950s dalles de verre glazing by Dom Louis Charles Norris O.S.B. and Moira Forsyth, as do T. Carter Shapland’s clerestorey windows at Catford St Laurence, a listed church by Ralph Covell, which have needed substantial care & protection in recent years.