Buildings and the built environment are essential for the survival of individuals and cultures. The effective and efficient investigation and remediation of failures in buildings and the built environment is therefore also essential. This is an increasing problem in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, especially under accelerated changes in occupancy, and under the stresses of climate change.

The BP24 conference is intended to develop and promote the application of Building Pathology as a holistic subject for the investigation, diagnosis, prognosis, and remediation of failures in buildings and the built environment; based on the understanding of buildings as complex systems evolving over time. This allows a holistic approach to risk identification and cost-effective risk management for failures in all new, refurbished, and historic buildings, and in the built environment.

Here, a ‘silo mentality’ has predominated in the past, which has often resulted in remedial and other interventions causing unforeseen, but not unforeseeable problems.

It is proposed that all building professionals and managers should therefore have at least a basic understanding of the principles of Building Pathology, in the same way that they have a basic understanding of Health & Safety risk management. This is increasingly important internationally, and especially in the UK with the recent provisions of the CDM regulations, the Building Safety Act 2022, and changes in the Building Regulations. This therefore represents an opportunity for individuals and organisations that can provide a wide range of information and services to their clients, backed by independent expert investigation and advice based on a holistic understanding of Building Pathology.