A unique course that has trained thousands of the country's building professionals in the repair and renovation of old buildings will run twice in 2009.

With the downturn in the construction of new buildings many architects and other professionals are increasingly turning to work on existing buildings. The six-day Repair Course, run by SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) is for them.

The course, run since 1951, has long provided training for bodies like English Heritage, The National Trust and local planners as well as numerous architects, surveyors and others in private practice.

Described by Dame Liz Forgan, former chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, as the best course she’d been on, it provides a mixture of expert lectures on subjects such as conservation philosophy, stonework, lime, historic structures and timber repairs. Delegates also attend site visits to historic buildings under repair.

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In 2009 SPAB will hold two Repair Courses, in spring (Mon - Sat, May 11th - 16th) and autumn (Mon - Sat, Sept 28th - Oct 3rd). The course provides the ideal environment for conservation professionals to deepen their understanding of working with older buildings and offers an opportunity for architects, surveyors, planners, structural engineers, builders and craftsmen who are interested in developing work in this area to find out more. There is no other course of this kind.

The aim of the course is to illustrate by lectures and practical examples the manner in which the conservative repair of old buildings can be achieved. Group visits to buildings under repair are a central element of the week. As well as afternoon site visits in the London area, there will be a two-day tour (normally Wednesday and Thursday) to work taking place at a site in a different region.

Over the week delegates will be introduced to methods evolved and proved by the Society for over 130 years. Lecturers are all practising architects and experts from related fields, with long experience of this type of work.

Subjects covered during the week are likely to include:

• Principles of repair and conservation
• Damp
• Lime – the material and its use in repair
• Traditional Masonry
• Surfaces and finishes
• Structural repair – an engineers view
• Conservation of historic ironwork
• Plasters and renders – repair and conservation
• Case studies
• Site visits

(GK/JM)