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In 2006 Professor David Walker and his team at the University of St Andrews launched a fully searchable, free, online database that has transformed the ways in which anyone interested in Scottish architecture from 1840 onwards engages with the subject. The Dictionary is widely used by archivists, family historians, house owners, estate agencies, independent conservation campaigners, architects, planners and heritage bodies, schoolchildren and teachers, students and scholars. Its worldwide impact is attested by the organisers of related Canadian and South African websites, as well as by feedback from international users and a current hit rate of more than 3.8 million per year.
Robert Lorimer and his work: the gatehouse at Earlshall, Fife, 1900
Campbell's research on Basil Spence has delivered a reassessment of the work and significance of one of Britain's most important post-war architects after nearly three decades of critical neglect. The impacts include informing the strategies of Historic Scotland and English Heritage for listing and conserving historic buildings; and increasing public knowledge and appreciation of Spence's contribution to modern British architecture. These impacts have been delivered to research users — the heritage sector, managers and users of Spence's buildings, and the general public — via public engagement activities which comprised a touring exhibition, public lectures, workshops and non-academic conferences; popular publications; and advice to heritage organisations.
Approximately 70% of the existing building stock will still be in use in 2050. A series of projects funded by EPSRC, FP7, Historic Scotland and English Heritage has changed the level of awareness on the impact of climate change on the thermal and moisture performance of traditional and historic buildings when considering improvements to their energy efficiency. This has helped set the agenda for the refurbishment of traditional buildings, for example advice on for the Green Deal has resulted in DECC commissioning further work, including a Responsible Retrofit Guidance Tool developed by the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance.
Architectural history at Queens has not only critically influenced decision-makers in Northern Ireland over a long period, but also helped to develop a notion of shared ownership of the region within the extant divisions in the contested landscape of Northern Ireland. Architectural Heritage is usually seen as conservative and restricting in its impact, but within the divided communities of Northern Ireland, the discovery and contextualisation of the built environment has created a shared sense of place in a landscape ravaged by civil strife.
This is evidenced particularly in respect of impact on practitioners and professional services; public policy, law and services; and the environment particularly:
the statutory listing of historic buildings the designation of conservation areas by government, work with professional bodies eg Royal Society of Ulster Architects work with voluntary/community organisations such as Ulster Architectural Heritage Society.
Through the research on the history and development of architecture in Ireland, the University can demonstrate a very significant impact on both Northern Ireland's built environment, and that of the Republic of Ireland. This body of research has provided valuable support to specialist users, including the architectural profession and planning authorities, as well as providing a source of reference for historical societies and amenity groups seeking to shape our environment, and a major source of information for the wider public.
Pioneering research, from 1995, at the Advanced Concrete and Masonry Centre into the mechanical and compositional properties of traditional mortars and roofing slate improved applied analysis and material sourcing in relation to the conservation of historic buildings. Authoritative guidance on the analysis of historic mortars and the specification of their replacements, based on UWS research, had an international impact, seeing incorporation into ASTM and CEN standards, and contributed to the development of a commercial Hydraulic Lime. A research network on climate change impacts in the historic environment influenced Historic Scotland policy for sustainability and materials research.