Gwynne Anthony 2020

ART506 Dissertation 2019. Anthony Gwynne . 53 • Time implications – vapour permeable materials were not considered as it required skilled, experienced building contractors, lime-based renders and plasters cannot be used in the winter (when this project was planned to commence), and lime- based products have delays in curing times compared with cement-based products. Works phase and unintended consequences ` A Building Regulations application was submitted by the architect as a Full Plans application instead of a Building Notice (Appendix G) . A Full Plans application requires a full set of plans and specification to be deposited with building control to show compliance with the Building Regulations and Approved Documents. On checking the plans and specification it become apparent that the proposals were to take up the old lime-based ground floor slab and clay tiles and replace it using modern non-vapour permeable materials. Building Control did question why the architect was proposing to use inappropriate non-vapour permeable materials when vapour permable materials would have been more appropriate and not be detrimental to the building. The architect’s response was that the proposed works had been approved by the Diocese of Gloucester technical panel and they had granted a faculty to proceed. Unfortunately, as the Building Regulations and Approved Documents has no guidance for the use of vapour permeable materials and a faculty had been granted, there was no alternative but to approve the works under the requirements of the Building Regulations. Once the building works started on site, building control met the builder appointed by the architect and he confirmed he was only familiar with modern forms of construction and had very little experience of using lime or vapour permeable materials and didn’t question the architect design. When the works commenced on site, it become apparent that the church building had solid stone walls that already had rising damp issues internally. Building control did point this out to the architect and builder that vapour permeable materials would be more appropriate to prevent trapping of any water that could make the situation worse. This advice was ignored by the architect who instead instructed the builder to dress