Much of my work lies in the field of renovation, refurbishment and appraisal of existing buildings, and naturally in dealing with these structures one also has to bear in mind the history of the building and changes that may have been made to it. These details are rarely obvious and often have to be deduced by the Sherlock Holmes method. Since historical building methods are not taught in degree courses for construction professionals, and the published information is of necessity limited, therefore expertise in dealing with existing structures is mainly acquired through experience. When looking at a building one is often faced with the problem of having to understand its underlying structure without undertaking more than a minimum of intrusive and expensive physical investigation. One starts by looking at those parts which are visible, and if possible with a measured survey.
Original plans are almost never available.
A pronounced instinctive curiosity is of great value. A seemingly unimportant detail, on investigation, can often lead to insight. And hopefully after a few minutes spent quietly in contemplation, the building speaks, and tells the sympathetic listener the story of its strengths and weaknesses. During over thirty years working in different positions in various contracting and consultancy firms in the construction sector I have gained much valuable first hand knowledge. This covers not only the technical details of current and historical construction methods, but also many other aspects of and relating to buildings.