New Design for Old Buildings

by Roger Hunt, Iain Boyd, Kevin McCloud (Foreword)

Showcasing a range of homes, churches, barns, commercial, and industrial buildings from across the UK, this book demonstrates the SPAB philosophy that good new architecture can sit happily alongside old and is preferable to pastiche.

Building on the experience of professionals in the historic environment, the authors explore the approach, the design process, the material palette and technical considerations in creating enduring, sustainable buildings. It has never been more important to understand how old buildings can be adapted to make them useful and sustainable in the future.

“Good conservation demands a clear and rigorous contemporary approach for new work just as much as it requires delicacy and respect in dealing with the past. In this book, Roger and Iain skillfully guide us through the work of some of the best examples, their erudition underscored by a deep understanding of conservation theory and principles.” Kevin McCloud

Genres: Architecture

160 pages, Hardcover

Published December 12, 2017

About the author

Roger Hunt studied stage management at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then worked in film, television and photography. Loving history, and having been intrigued by building techniques and materials since childhood, he started writing about buildings. He is now an award winning writer and blogger specialising in sustainability, old houses, housebuilding and traditional and modern building materials and construction.

Roger is the co-author of New Design for Old Buildings from RIBA Publishing as well as the bestselling Old House Handbook and the companion volume Old House Eco Handbook, published in association with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). He is the author of Rural Britain: Then and Now, a celebration of the British countryside featuring photographs from The Francis Frith Collection; Villages of England; and Hidden Depths, an archaeological exploration of Surrey's past. He also contributed a chapter to the Reader's Digest book The Story of Where you Live and wrote Hamptons International's millennium book The House 1000-2000.

He is editor of the SPAB Briefings, a series which offers a summary of recent work by the Society with cutting-edge information to help both owners and building professionals. Titles include Energy Efficiency in Old Buildings, Windows & Doors, Lime and Disaster & Recovery.

His work has appeared in numerous publications including The Daily Telegraph, Period Living, House & Garden, Grand Designs, Homebuilding & Renovating, Real Homes and Listed Heritage. He is sustainability correspondent for Show House, a title aimed at the housebuilding industry, and is a judge of the What House? Awards for new housing.

Roger Tweets @huntwriter and blogs at huntwriter.com. He also lectures regularly on retrofitting and repairing old buildings.

He was named Sustainable Property Journalist of the Year at the LSL Property Press Awards in both 2013 and 2014 and B2B Property Journalist of the Year at the Headline Property Awards 2008. His huntwriter.com blog won Best Blog and Best Eco Home Blog at the PrimeLocation.com Blog Awards 2011.

Interests include landscaping gardens and renovating houses. Although based in the UK, his latest renovation project is a 1900 house on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, USA.