Date: Wednesday, 2 December 2026 Time: 1 to 2 pmThe primary division in conservation between ‘living' and ‘dead' buildings goes back at least 180 years. This once commonplace distinction was suppressed by the authors of the 1964 Venice Charter, but re-emerged in the context of religious heritage in 2003 through the work of ICCROM. This webinar discusses the idea of living buildings, starting from its application to churches, before widening out to test its applicability to other forms of heritage. It considers the relation of living buildings to intangible heritage (they are distinct but complementary ideas), which has increased relevance for conservation professionals in the wake of the UK government’s recent adoption of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The webinar argues that the distinction of ‘living' from ‘dead' buildings is as relevant as ever, and that the implications of this are far-reaching, including for our understanding of the acceptable limits of change and the place of communities in conservation decision-making. This course forms part of the wider Specialist Conservation Series 2026. For more information about the series, click learn more.Learning OutcomesBy the end of this webinar, you will be able to: Explain the distinction between ‘living’ and ‘dead’ buildings and their continuing relevance to conservation practice Assess the role of the core community in decision-making for living heritage buildings Apply the concept of living buildings to conservation decisions, including acceptable limits of change and professional practice Who is this course for?Conservation Architects, or any architects interested in heritage. SpeakerDr Nigel Walter, FRIBA, FRSA, SCA Specialist Conservation architect (Director of Archangel Ltd.) Nigel Walter is a Specialist Conservation Architect and founder of Cambridge-based architecture and conservation practice, Archangel. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Church Buildings Council, and a trustee of the National Churches Trust. Nigel is inspecting architect for some 70 historic churches, mostly listed, many grade I. He holds a PhD in historic building conservation at the University of York, and his academic research focuses on living heritage. He is Secretary General of TheoPhilos, the ICOMOS International Committee on Theory and Philosophy of Conservation and Restoration.Please note Each recording will expire 12 months after enrolling onto the module This course contains content specific to UK regulations/legislation For more information on this course, or if there are no places available, please email us, or call +44 (0)20 7307 5355 to talk to a member of the team. Please view the Terms and Conditions for more information.
