26-27 May 2016
Durham

A workshop to explore the intersections of energy and authenticity in the built environment

Buildings change in response to various social processes and emerge through the different practices and understandings of people who use, inhabit and work on them. Recently understanding of these processes has been inflected by public thinking and government policies that urge a radical transformation of the built environment in response to growing fears about climate change and the need for greater energy efficiency. Responses have included environmentally oriented ‘retrofit’ of buildings, including through installation of micro-generation, insulation, new windows and through the adoption of ‘smart’ technologies. While such interventions have been promoted on grounds of environmental sustainability, they have the potential to change the character, appearance and use of old buildings and hence to compromise the values that people attach to these as concrete manifestations of the past. While the technological dimensions of these issues have been well illuminated by a large and growing body of work, the social aspects of these changes remain relatively poorly understood.

This workshop aims to foster a dialogue between academics and practitioners with interests in renovation and retrofit of old buildings, in order to further develop understanding of these processes. The workshop aims to shed new light on the social practices and perspectives that inform these processes and, through this, to contribute new insights concerning the relationship between heritage, energy and the built environment. Presentations and discussions will inform a workshop report and policy briefing with the aim of shaping policy and practice in these areas.

DAY ONE: CONTEXTS and PROVOCATIONS
DAY TWO: RESOLUTIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND WAYS FORWARD

Contacts
Tom Yarrow can be contacted:
Via email: t.g.yarrow@durham.ac.uk
And by mobile phone: 07969 407045

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