Gwynne Anthony 2020

ART506 Dissertation 2019. Anthony Gwynne . 11 A review of current literature amounting to 23 documents was carried out to gain a better understanding of how scholars view the Building Regulations and Approved Documents. To establish the construction industries current thinking of the building control process, 150 questionnaires were sent out to architects, surveyors, builders, conservation officers and manufacturers and suppliers. Of those 149 questionnaires sent out, 15 were returned (Appendix J). It’s interesting to note the findings confirmed that the Approved Documents do not provide enough guidance and advice for traditional buildings and only refer to standards which don’t provide practical guidance. The findings also confirmed that solutions contained within the Approved Documents are not suitable for application to traditional vapour permeable buildings. This research demonstrates there is a lack of understanding of traditional building performance in industry and policy. It also demonstrates there is a lack of connection between good research, standards, certification process, guidance and practice. This is particularly evident in the SAP software for traditional buildings which produces incorrect results (SPAB, 2019). Traditional buildings require different assessment and practice regarding the control of moisture which is vital for fabric and human health. For example, Approved Document C of the Building Regulations (paragraph 4.2) provides guidance on the damp proofing of walls and floors using waterproof membranes, and Approved Document L provides guidance on insulations which are inappropriate for traditional buildings. There is no practical guidance on vapour permeable solutions in any of these Approved Documents. There are good opportunities for the development of safe, robust energy-efficient and cost-effective retrofit measures for many areas of traditional buildings. However, these will have to be developed on a different basis and structure from those in the Approved Documents. The Welsh Government and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) and the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA) have confirmed support of this dissertation and its research. SPAB have agreed to provide access to ongoing research they have carried out on building performance and the use of vapour – open