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)
Find out more
Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Archaeology and construction.
- Building preservation notice.
- Certificate of immunity.
- Conservation areas.
- Conservation of the historic environment.
- English Heritage
- Heritage partnership agreement.
- Historic England.
- Historic environment good practice advice.
- Historic Environment Service Provider Recognition.
- Historic environment.
- IHBC articles.
- Listed buildings.
- Planning Policy Statement 5 Planning for the Historic Environment
- Scheduled monuments.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
- VAT - protected buildings.
IHBC NewsBlog
IHBC 2019 Nottingham School - Heritage, Risk & Resilience
Homepage, venue and promotional pages launched – Sponsor opportunities open now; Delegate booking from February 2019!
IHBC welcomes Hampshire South Pevsner launched by Yale University Press
IHBC will be extending its CPD partnership with the Yale as the Pevsner publisher for the IHBC’s Nottingham School, in July 2019, on ‘Heritage, Risk and Resilience’.
IHBC welcomes Gus Astley Student Award judge for 2018
Ingval Maxwell OBE, Chair of COTAC, past Technical Director at Historic Scotland, now Historic Environment Scotland, will judge the 2018 Awards and present them at AS2019.
IHBC President launches next Marsh Awards
‘Your next chance to nominate retired IHBC members and successful learners for Marsh Awards’.
IHBC HE & ALGAO LA conservation stats out now - 2018
LA conservation capacity in England: small annual increase follows years of conservation cuts. But still aggregates at 35% cuts over the last 12 years.
IHBC CPD boost: Build your skills and profile
By contributing to Conservation Wiki (and DBW) following the handy guide on writing articles you can help your CPD and public and professional profile.
IHBC Local Authority Skills - website now mobile friendly
The IHBC upgrades specialist website on ‘Local Authority Skills’ so it's more accessible for mobile technology such as smart phones and iPads etc - content updates anticipated.
Scottish communities feel excluded from landscape policy
Major new research entitled Community Empowerment and Landscape show communities feel excluded from development decisions that affect the areas they live in.
CITB - iconic buildings set to benefit from sought-after stonemasonry skills
A new Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) partnership launched in Edinburgh will help meet the demand for stonemasonry skills.
SPAB Scholarship and Fellowship applications for 2019 open
Architects, surveyors, engineers, craftspeople looking for hands-on-learning experience may apply for the 2019 Scholarships or Fellowships prior to December 1.
Dame Judith Hackitt - shocked by construction industry standards
Her report, the ‘Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety’ also calls for ‘stronger powers of enforcement, to provide more deterrent to cost-cutting’.
Making use of empty spaces in London
A report by Nicolas Bosetti and Tom Colthorpe ‘Meanwhile, in London: Making use of London’s empty spaces’ looks at planning in the public realm.
Local authority green belt statistics for England 2017 to 2018
Statistics on designated green belt land in England by local authority for 2017 to 2018 have been published, indicating an incremental decrease of green belt each year.
England - Swindon Railway Village voted as Favourite Conservation Area
Civic Voice announces that Swindon Railway Village Conservation Area has been voted as England’s ‘favourite Conservation Area’.
UK festival of creativity and innovation to be held in 2022
A UK-wide festival to be held in 2022 will showcase the creative and innovative strengths of the nation.
Government Building Safety Programme – post Grenfell Tower fire
MHCLG is supporting building owners in taking immediate steps to ensure their residents’ safety and in making decisions on any remedial work that is necessary to do.