Three morning talks will examine the wealth of timberwork in Scotland’s traditional buildings, from major structural features like joists and rafters, to delicate finishing details like skirting boards, mouldings and panelling.  How these features should be repaired, maintained and conserved will also be covered and there will be a discussion on ways to repair traditional simple sash and case windows. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, there will be guided tours of Stirling’s Church of the Holy Rude and the nearby Great Hall of Stirling Castle to inspect their remarkable timber roof structures – one being ancient and the other of recent construction. Cost: £85 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

This session will focus on how is man-made and managed in the same way culture is understood to be. Nature has heritage all of its own – histories of farming, walking, imagining, and centuries of care. This session will consider what happens when these forms of conservation meet one another, and speculates upon what might, and could, happen. Topics will include: the many overlaps between nature conservation and conserving the historic environment, joint building and nature conservation projects, place based ecological dependencies, and dialogue with nature in the climate and biodiversity crises.

Glasgow City Heritage Trust are hosting Dr. Kathy Wheeler (University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design), who will be discussing the now demolished Napier House and the tragic history of its construction. Napier House, which once occupied the corner of Govan Road and Napier Street in Glasgow, was designed by the architect William James Anderson, and during its construction in 1898 the top floor collapsed and five workmen died. The resulting inquest gave insight into the hierarchy of labour, the role of the architect, and the handling of the then relatively new concrete material.