Assessing traditional buildings pre-retrofit with STBA | RISE Masterclass

Traditional and historic buildings behave very differently to modern construction, meaning poor early-stage assessment can lead to unintended consequences, performance issues and inappropriate retrofit measures.

This session explores why pre-retrofit assessment is critical, what a whole-house approach looks like in practice, and how the right surveys and investigations can support successful retrofit outcomes.

The session will include practical examples and lessons learned from real projects will demonstrate how early-stage assessment can support better decision-making, improve retrofit outcomes and protect the long-term performance of traditional buildings.

Professor John Edwards is Director of Edwards Hart Consultants and a board member of the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA), specialising in traditional buildings and retrofit assessment, with almost 40 years’ experience in sustainable refurbishment and energy efficiency retrofit.

He has contributed to the development of major retrofit standards and guidance including BS 40104, PAS 2035 and PAS 2030, and has worked across projects ranging from social housing to listed buildings. John currently serves as Chair of the IHBC Technical Panel and delivers retrofit training focused on older and traditional buildings.