The RICHeS team were delighted to visit Cardiff University to engage with the Tranche 1 RICHeS funded facilities project Perfform: built heritage for communities and collections team. Led by Dr Nicola Emmerson, Reader in Conservation, Perfform is a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing the understanding and conservation of historic buildings. The project will establish a state-of-the-art Perfform Facility, equipped with advanced tools and expertise to analyse the internal environments of historic buildings and their impacts on people and collections within them. This will enable stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding energy efficiency, conservation strategies and adaptation to climate change.
Exploring the Bute Building
The visit began at the Grade II listed Bute Building, home to Cardiff university’s Welsh School of Architecture. The RICHeS team were welcomed by project Co-Lead Oriel Prizeman, Professor of Sustainable Building Conservation. The Bute Building houses cutting edge research and teaching facilities including a robotic arm, various 3d printing facilities and physical workshops.
RICHeS investment in research capabilities
Since the launch of Perfform in October, the team at Cardiff have been actively procuring equipment to enhance their capabilities. They have upgraded their digital microscopy and structured light scanning for artefacts and are awaiting a state-of-the-art laser scanner for buildings.
Their existing capacity for researching the impacts of environmental conditions on heritage materials will grow with an updated climatic simulation suite featuring UV, humidity and temperature modelling. This will be complemented by a thermal manikin designed to model the human experience of environments in historic buildings. This technology will significantly enhance the team’s ability to document and analyse historic structures and materials, aiding both research and conservation efforts.
Fostering collaboration in heritage science and conservation
Collaboration is at the heart of the Perfform project, particularly in its engagement with the RICHeS funded English Heritage initiative, that is developing a national integrated mobile and fixed laboratory for collections, historic buildings and sites. A key focus of Perfform has been strategic equipment procurement, ensuring that specialised tools can be shared among researchers across institutions. This approach maximises resource efficiency while promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration in heritage science.
Looking ahead, the Cardiff team is preparing to host a RICHeS regional event in November. In September, it is also organising METAL 2025, an international metals conservation conference featuring advances in research and practice.
A Promising Future for Heritage Conservation
This visit reaffirmed the importance of innovative research, investment in cutting-edge technology and fostering strong collaborative networks in the field of built heritage and conservation. The advancements being made through Perfform will not only support sustainable conservation practices but also pave the way for more resilient and energy-efficient historic buildings.
Dr Nicola Emmerson shares:
“It was wonderful to welcome the RICHeS team to Cardiff University to showcase our progress. This support from AHRC facilitates a huge step forward in conservation and heritage science both here in Cardiff and across the UK. We are proud to represent Wales and excited about the possibilities for collaboration with our project partners, local and national heritage organisations and, of course, the wider RICHeS network“