Conservation accreditation
David Gibbon has become one of six chartered building surveyors in Scotland to be accredited by the RICS conservation accreditation scheme. Three of the others work for the National Trust for Scotland leaving only two others in private practice. Professional body accreditation of the lead consultant is now a condition of Historic Scotland Grant.
"When I started work as a building surveyor" says David Gibbon "if the term "building conservation" had been coined at all, it was certainly not in common use. I found myself involved in improving vast numbers of Victorian houses for private owners and housing association, converting large houses into flats, altering and extending buildings including churches, factories, doctor's surgeries and old people's homes. Although much of this might now be considered heavy handed conservation, I was always inclined towards saving what I could of the original building fabric. I constantly challenged the orthodox views of the time and often found myself in trouble with housing association clerks of works who took a ruthless view of building refurbishment. Having lived through that era, more than 30 years ago now, I became familiar with all the techniques and technologies surrounding building refurbishment but was drawn towards, for instance, the environmental approach to the treatment of fungal decay in timber that started to emerge in the 1970s. Early in my career I used to produce all the drawings and specifications/schedules of work myself but in recent years I have had the pleasure of working with excellent young architects. I have accumulated a vast store of knowledge and experience of how old buildings are put together much of it learned by a combination of observation and listening to experienced tradesmen"
"When I started work as a building surveyor" says David Gibbon "if the term "building conservation" had been coined at all, it was certainly not in common use. I found myself involved in improving vast numbers of Victorian houses for private owners and housing association, converting large houses into flats, altering and extending buildings including churches, factories, doctor's surgeries and old people's homes. Although much of this might now be considered heavy handed conservation, I was always inclined towards saving what I could of the original building fabric. I constantly challenged the orthodox views of the time and often found myself in trouble with housing association clerks of works who took a ruthless view of building refurbishment. Having lived through that era, more than 30 years ago now, I became familiar with all the techniques and technologies surrounding building refurbishment but was drawn towards, for instance, the environmental approach to the treatment of fungal decay in timber that started to emerge in the 1970s. Early in my career I used to produce all the drawings and specifications/schedules of work myself but in recent years I have had the pleasure of working with excellent young architects. I have accumulated a vast store of knowledge and experience of how old buildings are put together much of it learned by a combination of observation and listening to experienced tradesmen"