The Institute of Historic Building Conservation

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is the professional body for building conservation practitioners and historic environment experts working in the United Kingdom, with connections to the Republic of Ireland.

The Institute exists to establish, develop and maintain the highest standards of conservation practice, to support the effective protection and enhancement of the historic environment, and to promote heritage-led regeneration and access to the historic environment for all. There is a network of regional and national branches around the UK.

Historic places attract people, activity and investment, giving new life to their communities and helping make places more competitive. They play a central role in regenerating towns, cities and rural areas all around the UK, especially helping to repopulate inner-city areas.

Using internationally-recognised standards, IHBC assesses and regulates conservation practitioners. IHBC members come from a range of professional disciplines in the public, private and voluntary sectors, including conservation officers, planners, architects, regeneration practitioners and academics. The work of members varies from overseeing small-scale traditional repairs to managing multi-million pound area regeneration projects.

IHBC’s values include:

• Managing change: Helping historic places thrive by accommodating change and adapting for the future while providing continuity with the past.
• Heritage-led regeneration: Assisting tourism and promoting local economic diversity through developing the historic environment.
• Sustainable development: Preserving resources and minimising carbon emissions associated with demolition and redevelopment.
• Design: Appreciating that historic places are the inspiration for the great architecture of the future.
• Valuing heritage: Caring for historic buildings and places that have their own intrinsic cultural, social, educational and spiritual value.

The IHBC works to provide regular training, continuing professional development (CPD) and education events, as well as lobbying at international, national, regional and local levels.

Its publications include:

• Context: The official magazine of the IHBC, published bi-monthly.
• IHBC Yearbook: Published annually.
• Building Conservation Directory.

The IHBC also partners with, and assesses, various conservation courses across the UK to encourage training and professional development in the sector.

For more information, see the IHBC’s website.

Also see a list of articles by IHBC on Designing Buildings Wiki.

--Institute of Historic Building Conservation 15:56, 20 Jun 2016 (BST)

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