Mid Green occupationConstruction and the built environment
Heritage construction specialist
Ensure the maintenance of heritage properties through construction projects that repair, restore, adapt, alter or retrofit historic buildings and heritage assets.
Summary
This occupation is found in the historic environment, construction, building conservation and cultural heritage sectors.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to ensure the maintenance of heritage properties through construction projects that repair, restore, adapt, alter or retrofit historic buildings and heritage assets, doing so according to their significance and performance. Historic buildings and heritage assets are generally considered to include whole buildings, parts of buildings, ancillary structures, monuments, and other architectural features such as garden structures, walls and paving that were built before 1919, or those that are built using traditional methods and materials, including structures protected by legislation such as Listed Buildings, Scheduled Ancient Monuments and those within Conservation Areas. Heritage Construction Specialists oversee work related to the fabric of a building or structure and its internal and external features and settings. They combine practical construction skills with their knowledge of traditional materials, practices and the way each building performs holistically, to inform the conservation and construction techniques they use when managing and leading on historic building projects.
The Heritage Construction Specialist is typically site-based, including outdoor working, working at height, and working away from home, including rural and remote locations, but normal duties also include workshop operations, office working and attendance at meetings with stakeholders, clients or colleagues. They will typically need to be able to drive.
An individual in this role might typically have a trade or profession, such as – but not exclusively – woodworker, bricklayer, stonemason, plasterer, metalworker or surveyor, and have specialist knowledge and experience of the requirements of working at heritage properties.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of clients, colleagues and stakeholders in the public, private and third sectors, within organisations of any size. Heritage Construction Specialists might work alone or as a more senior member of a small team. They may oversee or coordinate other personnel or subcontractors and will sometimes work with other heritage professionals, such as a conservation officer or architect, to develop the detailed conservation solutions for adapting older buildings and structures.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for assessing the condition of historic and traditional structures; understanding the significance and history of the buildings and structures they work on; conserving and enhancing the fabric of a building or structures according to its significance, performance characteristics and condition; integration of new systems (for example electrical, mechanical) into heritage buildings; creating recommendations and construction work plans, contributing to the costing and conducting of construction work to appropriate professional and conservation standards; liaising with specialist contractors, stakeholders and clients; documenting their work to appropriate conservation standards; communicating their work to the public. They need to be able to work alone or as part of a team, and make decisions about work plans for themselves and others.
Typical job titles include
- Conservation Surveyor | Site Agent (Heritage) | Site Manager
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Principles, philosophy and ethics of conservation for historic buildings, structures and settings.
K2:
Statutory, quality and policy standards and legislation applicable to heritage construction work.
K3:
Historic, archaeological, architectural and environmental context relevant to British historic building stock (built pre-1919).
K4:
Principles of assessing the significance and condition of heritage property or asset, for example whole buildings, parts of buildings, ancillary structures, monuments, architectural features including garden structures, walls and paving.
K5:
Traditional and historic construction materials, techniques and practices used to build heritage property or assets.
K6:
Construction materials, techniques and practices used to repair, maintain, adapt, retrofit and conserve heritage property or assets.
K7:
The performance of historic and traditional buildings, where this differs to modern buildings, and the impact this has on the selection of construction methods.
K8:
Principles of risk assessment and impact mitigation of modern techniques, materials, practices and interventions on heritage projects.
K9:
Principles of sustainability in the historic environment, including as climate change relates to it, and how this impacts repair, maintenance, retrofit, energy efficiency and conservation, of historic and traditional structures.
K10:
Health and safety: law and obligations.
K11:
Standard forms of construction contract and subcontract and contractual mechanisms as applied at various stages of the contract. The roles, responsibilities and duties of the contract administrator and the duties of the parties to the contract.
K12:
Documentation required during heritage construction projects for example statements of significance, condition surveys and other heritage statements and specifications.
K13:
Quantification and costing of construction work.
K14:
The structure of teams who work on historic and traditional buildings, including specialists and designers, and how the heritage construction specialist interacts with these roles.
K15:
The contribution that historic and traditional buildings and heritage construction can make to local, regional, national and community and cultural identities.
K16:
Common issues, symptoms and warning signs of stress, anxiety and depression, including where to go for help and the resources available.
K17:
Principles of designing heritage construction work programmes including risk assessment and time management.
K18:
Principles of solving heritage construction problems.
K19:
Principles of researching and developing new techniques and disseminating findings.
K20:
Report writing techniques. IT applications for technical reporting.
K21:
Verbal communication techniques.
K22:
The Equality Act - requirements on organisations. Social inclusion practices. Reasonable adjustments to support accessibility. The impact of unconscious bias.
K23:
Principles of leading people and managing the quality of their work.
K24:
Digital technology in the industry: management information systems and equipment digital interfaces.
K25:
Information technology. General data protection regulation (GDPR). Cyber security.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1105: Heritage construction specialist (Level 5) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1105
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £31,350 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5319 Construction and building trades n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5319/99 Construction and building trades n.e.c.
S1:
Apply relevant statutory, quality and policy standards and legislation to the planning and execution of heritage construction work.
S2:
Evaluate, select and recommend construction materials, techniques and practices used in heritage construction work.
S3:
Assess the condition and significance of heritage property or asset and record findings.
S4:
Apply sustainability principles, including energy efficiency and building performance, to the planning and execution of heritage construction work.
S5:
Assess the risks of modern techniques, materials, practices and interventions on heritage projects, and mitigate the impact on current and future heritage construction works.
S6:
Complete and maintain heritage project documentation and records.
S7:
Communicate technical information to stakeholders using appropriate formats, for example photographs, drawings, sketches and digital formats.
S8:
Design heritage construction work programmes, including costs, risk assessment and time management.
S9:
Select and use procurement and contract forms.
S10:
Identify and instruct specialist skills outside of own competence.
S11:
Communicate verbally with stakeholders, specialists and clients.
S12:
Raise awareness, appreciation and understanding of historic and traditional structures, promoting best-practice, including through public engagement activities.
S13:
Lead people and manage the quality of their work for example staff, volunteers and external specialist contractors.
S14:
Lead the development of new techniques through research and or dissemination of research.
S15:
Solve problems based on an assessment of available evidence.
S16:
Apply and promote policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion.
S17:
Use information technology and digital systems. Comply with cyber security.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1105: Heritage construction specialist (Level 5) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1105
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £31,350 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5319 Construction and building trades n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5319/99 Construction and building trades n.e.c.
B1:
Act ethically in the completion of work.
B2:
Committed to maintaining and enhancing competence of self and others, including to future generations, through Continued Professional Development (CPD).
B3:
Collaborate with others, for example within teams, across disciplines and external stakeholders.
B4:
Puts safety first for themselves and others ensuring compliance with health, safety, welfare, environmental and quality requirements and policies.
B5:
Encourage a diverse and inclusive culture.
Technical Educational Products
- ST1105: Heritage construction specialist (Level 5) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC1105
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £31,350 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 5319 Construction and building trades n.e.c.
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 5319/99 Construction and building trades n.e.c.