Windows can be the jewel in the crown of many old houses, contributing to their character, charm, value and historic interest. But the energy crisis and push to decarbonise domestic heating present a challenge for windows in traditional buildings which are known to be one of the principal causes of heat loss.

Their removal / replacement can have unintended consequences as a result of badly designed, inferior quality or poorly installed new windows, not to mention the loss of original historic fabric.

Doing nothing is no longer an affordable or socially responsible option.  How can we make sure the right decisions are made when it comes to historic windows?

Join trainers Laura Milbourn MRICS of Period Home Projects and Natasha Ginks of Renovate Green to take you through the issues facing the future of historic windows in the context of conservation, climate change and energy efficiency. In the second part of the session, Mike Neate of Ecological Design and Construction will explain how new windows in traditional buildings should be installed to maximise airtightness and minimise thermal bridging.

Questions that will be explored are: 

• How should individual windows be assessed and significance determined? 
• Should there be a decision process to address each window taking into account historic interest, character, use, orientation etc? 
• What consents are required and when?
• What are some of the options to improve the performance of traditional windows; and
• If there’s consent to replace them, how should that replacement be specified?

Laura Millbourn MRICS (Period Home Projects) and Natasha Ginks (Renovate Green) have both worked in the heritage sector for many years, with a focus on conservation combined with suitable, sympathetic and whole-house retrofit and energy efficiency measures.

Collaborating when working on heritage window projects and sharing a passion for the “eyes of a building,” this talk introduces a few of the topics that will be covered in an exciting two-day conference they are currently working with others on in June 2024: Through the Looking Glass: A Future for Historic Windows at the RAU in Cirencester.

Programme

11.00 Green Register introduction

11.10 Laura Milbourn MRICS of Period Home Projects and Natasha Ginks of Renovate Green

1. Introduction – Balancing conservation and energy efficiency in the context of historic windows
   1. Context
   2. What do we mean by historic windows
   3. U values and Heat Loss
2. The Current Position - Government & National Guidance
3. Assessment & Determining Significance (with Case Studies)
4. Consents
5. Options for improving performance
   1. Draught Proofing
   2. Secondary Glazing
   3. Replacement of Panes Only
   4. Full Replacement
6. Conclusions

11.55 First Q+A 

12.05 Break for 5 mins

12.10 Mike Neate of Ecological Design and Construction: 'The importance of getting window installation right'

12.45 Q+A

13.00 Close

About the trainers

Laura Millbourn, Director/Coordinator, Period Home Projects 

Working with traditionally constructed solid wall properties for over two decades has provided extensive experience for Laura in the world of conservation and renovation projects for home-owner private clients in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.  Having qualified as a Retrofit Coordinator under PAS 2035 and also gained a Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Traditional Buildings she now focuses on offering advice to period property owners who wish to sympathetically and sustainably improve their homes with a focus on historic windows and reducing their carbon footprint.

Natasha Ginks, Retrofit Coordinator, Renovate Green

With nearly a decade of experience working in sustainable renovation energy efficiency and renewables, Natasha is a skilled project manager helping people tackle the climate crisis by reducing the carbon footprint of their homes.

She is a qualified Retrofit Coordinator under PAS 2035 and has also completed an extensive eco-renovation on her own property using reclaimed materials and Passivhaus principles.

She is the founder of Renovate Green, a consultancy dedicated to sustainable home renovation.      

Mike Neate, Eco DC Ltd

Mike studied architecture and has been a contractor specializing in Passiv-Haus or EnerPhit Retrofit for the last 17 years. He has also been an airtightness contractor during this period specialising in domestic and larger projects, mainly doing one off self builds around the UK.

Mike now runs a contractor business and consultancy in the South West of England.