The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) believes old buildings have a future. From cottages to castles and from churches to cathedrals we are here to help buildings and the people who care for them. Through our unique training schemes, courses, advice and research we help people put our expertise into practice.

Founded by William Morris in 1877, the SPAB was established in response to the work of Victorian architects whose enthusiasm for harmful restoration caused irreparable damage. Today the SPAB encourages excellence in new design to enrich and complement the built historic environment. We train new generations of architectural professionals and building craftspeople to shape this landscape with sensitivity and skill, and we play a statutory role as adviser to local planning authorities. In our casework we campaign actively to protect old buildings at risk.

Everyone has driven or walked past a forlorn and unloved historic building at some time. You may have wondered why it isn’t being used or why someone doesn’t do something with it. The answer is often complex and the solutions equally so. It takes a special group of people to identify a way forward and restore these buildings to the benefit of the community.

Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is a dynamic and innovative charity that does just that. It is dedicated to regenerating significant historic buildings for the benefit of others throughout the whole of Scotland.

Established in 1959, COTAC’s founding principle was in its recognition of the need for specialists to properly specify and oversee work involved in repairing and conserving historic buildings and churches. Over the years COTAC has persistently and influentially worked to lift standards, develop training qualifications and build networks across the conservation, repair and maintenance sector of the construction industry. As a Charity this has involved working influentially with national agencies, professional and standard setting bodies, educational establishments and training interests.

The Council's 21st century objectives are to advance the education and training of all those involved in the protection and preservation of the historic environment that is of cultural, architectural or historical value, and to provide knowledge in support of training and education in the arts and skills required to protect and preserve it. To advance conservation education and training and support its knowledge base, COTAC will adopt an integrated lay, craft, specialist and professional approach, whilst engaging with a wide range of interested parties to achieve its aims.
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COTAC is a UK registered charity No 1162750. The charitable purposes of COTAC are as follows:

- Set, maintain and promote standards for conservation education and training;
- Develop, produce and promote education and training materials:
- Collaborate with other organisations, voluntary bodies and agencies with interests in conservation with a view to influencing and promoting relevant issues;
- Promote courses at all levels in conservation of the historic environment which are relevant and in accordance with recognised criteria;
- Publish relevant material;
- Arrange seminars, conferences and participate in exhibitions relating to relevant heritage issues;
- Provide bursaries and other support for relevant studies and course attendance.

We lead and enable Scotland’s first historic environment strategy Our Place in Time, which sets out how our historic environment will be managed. It ensures our historic environment is cared for, valued and enhanced, both now and for future generations.

We’re a non-departmental public body with charitable status. We're governed by a Board of Trustees, who were appointed by Scottish Ministers.

We’re responsible for more than 300 properties of national importance. Buildings and monuments in our care include Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae, Fort George and numerous smaller sites, which together draw more than 5 million visitors per year.

We’re also responsible for internationally significant collections including more than 5 million drawings, photographs, negatives and manuscripts, along with 20 million aerial images of locations across the world.

We invest about £14 million a year in national and local organisations, supporting building repairs, ancient monuments, archaeological work, the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme and the voluntary sector.

Our conservation experts provide guidance, training and technical research into Scotland’s built environment. Through our outreach programme, we promote community and individual learning engagement with Scotland’s heritage. We contribute to the Scottish Government’s strategy to tackle climate change and reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint.

Ulster Architectural Heritage is the lead independent voice for built heritage in Ulster. A not for profit organisation, UAH works to promote the value of built heritage, its protection, conservation, and regeneration for people and communities. The Society produces books, organises lectures and outings, undertakes planning campaigns, consultancy work and works with other bodies to raise awareness of the built environment.

UAH also run and maintain the Heritage at Risk NI register in partnership with the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities.

Promotion– highlighting the significance and value of the historic environment by encouraging people, communities and their elected representatives to engage with it.

Protection– promoting recognition of the fragility of the historic environment and ways in which it might be better protected.

Conservation– promoting the care, restoration and repair of the historic environment, and traditional building skills essential to assist with this.

Regeneration– promoting heritage-led regeneration, highlighting ways in which it can be achieved in order to contribute positively to social, cultural and economic wellbeing.

PastMap lets you view information about the archaeology, architecture and landscapes of Scotland on one single map. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) along with partners from local government and archaeological curators, and holds data from a growing number of other sources.

You can look at different layers, such as local authority Historic Environment Records (HERs), or Listed Building data from HES. You can choose to display layers on a map or aerial photograph and you can turn the layers on or off. Use the search or zoom tools to explore the map and delve into historic sites across Scotland.

When you find a site of interest – like a standing stone, a castle or a designed landscape – click on it to show more detail in the sidebar. Select a group of objects by drawing a shape or circle around them. Once you have made your selection, you can download a report of up to 1,000 records to view later.

PastMap is intended to be used as a portal, leading to more detailed information held by HES and our partners, and is not designed for use by professional contractors in the local authority planning process.

Please note that local HER records contain much more detailed and more up to date information than is currently available here. Please contact the relevant authority direct for all planning matters or queries relating to their records: see the 'HER Participation' link below for details.

Urban Vision Enterprise is a social enterprise providing professional services in planning, regeneration, economic development and third sector organisational development.

We are Chartered Town Planners specialising in …

- Planning mediation
- town centres and high streets
- heritage-led regeneration and conservation
- urban design, including design review
- community engagement and consultation
- housing needs and sites assessment
- feasibility and viability studies
- project business plans
- community-led development and projects
- training, continuing professional development (CPD) and education
- authoring of guidance and briefings
- third sector (not-for-profit) organisational development.

Our clients

Clients include government and funding bodies, UK and national professional bodies and membership organisations, local authorities, parish councils, neighbourhood forums, third sector bodies and local community groups. These include the Heritage Lottery Fund, Locality and the National Trust. Urban VisionEnterprise directors have extensive experience of dealing with urban and rural areas, including city and town centres and villages all around the country.

Urban Vision Enterprise is an IHBC recognised historic environment service provider (HESPR), and a corporate partner with Design Council. We are also ISO9001 registered.

Our Mission

“The encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries.” The Society of Antiquaries of London Royal Charter (1751).

Our Values - Fellowship, Conservation, Research and Dissemination

The Society of Antiquaries of London is an educational charity that promotes understanding of the human past and recognises distinction in this field through election to its Fellowship.

The Society was founded in 1707 and today our 3,000 Fellows include many distinguished archaeologists and art and architectural historians holding positions of responsibility across the cultural heritage. The Fellowship is international in its reach and its interests are inclusive of all aspects of the material past.

As a registered charity (207237), the Society’s principal objectives are to foster public understanding of that heritage, to support research and communicate the results and to engage in the formulation of public policy on the care of our historic environment and cultural property.

We support those charitable objectives on a daily basis through our Library and Museum collections (at Burlington House and at Kelmscott Manor), through our conservation and research grant awards, our programme of events (lectures and seminars), communications such as publications, our website and our e-newsletter.

The Society of Antiquaries receives no direct support from public funds.

Our Strategic Objectives

- To conserve and develop the research and educational potential of the buildings, collections and library at Burlington House and Kelmscott Manor and to make these resources more accessible to Fellows and the wider public.
- To engage, enthuse and foster the Fellowship and staff in pursuing the aims of the Society to further our understanding of the past and influence the heritage sector and the general public.
- To ensure the Society remains fit to meet its objectives now and in the future.

The Cathedral Architects Association exists to promote excellence in the care of cathedral buildings. The collegiate nature of the Association provides a unique knowledge base that is sustained by the free and generous exchange of ideas, expertise, and the experiences of its members both active and retired. Membership is open to those who are appointed under the Care of Cathedrals Measure to look after Anglican cathedrals within England.

Invitations are also extended to the architects of cathedrals of other denominations and jurisdictions such as Roman Catholic cathedrals, cathedrals in Wales and Scotland and also further afield. We benefit from the contributions of our corresponding members who have a close connection with cathedral work, including archaeology, construction, engineering, environmental services and the conservation of fabric and contents.

The Association engages with national and local bodies that have responsibility for cathedral matters, such as Historic England, the Association of English Cathedrals, and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England. The Association periodically runs events with a specific focus on different aspects of cathedral work, such as masonry conservation, innovations in lighting, and training for future cathedral architects.

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales has a leading national role in developing and promoting understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, as the originator, curator and supplier of authoritative information for individual, corporate and governmental decision makers, researchers, and the general public.

The landscape and built heritage of Wales result from people’s interaction with the natural world over thousands of years. Since it was established in 1908, the Royal Commission has led the way in researching and explaining the remains of that interaction – the archaeology and the historic buildings we see around us.

The Royal Commission holds a unique collection of photographs, maps, images, publications and reports within its archive, The National Monuments Record of Wales, which can be consulted on our online database Coflein or by making an enquiry to our Enquiry Services section.

The Royal Commission is based in Aberystwyth and is sponsored by the Welsh Government. The Chair and Commissioners direct the investigations by our expert staff, who employ the latest technology to provide authoritative and up to date information to the public.

Heritage Trust Network is a membership organisation run by people who have delivered amazing heritage projects against all the odds: its mission is to help others do the same.

HTN operates throughout the United Kingdom, bringing together heritage professionals and enthusiasts tackling our nations’ buildings at risk. Led predominately by professional volunteers, HTN's network provides an invaluable platform for peer-to-peer support. Our guidance and advice helps groups throughout the lifetime of their project from start up to post completion.

English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.

The charity uses these properties to "bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year". Within its portfolio are Stonehenge, Dover Castle, Tintagel Castle and the best preserved parts of Hadrian's Wall. English Heritage also manages the London Blue Plaque scheme, which links influential historical figures to particular buildings.

When originally formed in 1983, English Heritage was the operating name of an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government, officially titled the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, that ran the national system of heritage protection and managed a range of historic properties. It was created to combine the roles of existing bodies that had emerged from a long period of state involvement in heritage protection. In 1999 the organisation merged with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and the National Monuments Record, bringing together resources for the identification and survey of England's historic environment.

On 1 April 2015, English Heritage was divided into two parts: Historic England, which inherited the statutory and protection functions of the old organisation, and the new English Heritage Trust, a charity that would operate the historic properties, and which took on the English Heritage operating name and logo. The British government gave the new charity an £80 million grant to help establish it as an independent trust, although the historic properties remained in the ownership of the state.

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (the IHBC) is the UK’s professional body for historic environment conservation specialists. IHBC members work in areas that help secure the conservation of historic places, buildings, sites or areas. The IHBC supports and regulates standards, promotes effective protection and enhancement, and encourages heritage-led regeneration and access for all. The IHBC offers a variety of services, benefits and opportunities for its members, the conservation sector and the wider public including training and CPD and publication of a Yearbook and its journal ‘Context'.

The Irish Georgian Society is a membership organisation that conserves, protects and promotes awareness of Ireland’s architectural heritage and decorative arts through seminars, tours, publications, a conservation education program and a traditional building skills register, as well as conservation projects relating to buildings and places of cultural heritage interest and campaigning for the protection of historic structures.

The Society publishes an annual Journal entitled 'Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies', the only academic publication focusing on Irish architecture and decorative arts.

The Society runs a Conservation Grants Scheme providing financial aid assistance to small conservation projects on historic buildings throughout the country.

PAS is Scotland’s leading place and active citizenship charity. We support a planning system that is inclusive, positive and innovative, where individuals and communities help shape the future of their place. We are a volunteer-led organisation supported by a network of over 400 specialist volunteers, including professionals from across the built environment sector. We have continuously held Investing in Volunteers status since 2008. Find out more about PAS here.

Who we help - We help individuals and community organisations to get involved in decision-making in the planning system in an impartial, open and inclusive way. We provide skills training and support for community groups, planners, elected members and public bodies. In particular, we work to engage children and young people in their places and offer support to seldom-heard groups who often cannot readily engage in the planning system.

What we do - We help people to understand and influence the place where they live by providing impartial advice, skills training and supporting communities to develop and deliver their own aspirations for their place. We offer a free, impartial and confidential planning advice service, provided by our specialist volunteers, all of whom are chartered planners. Find out how to submit your enquiry.

How to get involved - For free, impartial and confidential advice on planning issues, please submit an enquiry through our Advice Service. To find out more, visit the blog or projects page. If you’re a community group or public body and would like to find out more about how we could assist you, please get in touch.

The Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance is an independent programme run by the Sustainable Development Foundation on behalf of the STBA Steering Group - an alliance of not-for-profit construction, conservation and educational organisations which includes English Heritage, Cadw and Historic Scotland.

Measures to reduce the environmental and energy impact of the existing UK building stock include improving, refurbishing and retro-fitting. Within this context there is an assumption that traditional (pre-1919) buildings - solid wall/permeable construction comprising around 23% of the total UK building stock - perform poorly and consequently require retro-fitting. While radically improving the performance of the traditional built environment is vital and urgent, a considerable lack of knowledge, incomplete data and relevant skills exists in this arena.

An immediate objective of the STBA is to focus on the risks and benefits associated with generic approaches to repair, maintenance and retro-fitting of traditional buildings, in particular those earmarked for the Green Deal packages.

The Traditional Architecture Group of the Royal Institute of British Architects was founded in 2003 in response to the growing number of architectural practices and architects in Britain that were building traditional buildings. It was clear that the cause of traditional architecture could be well served by forming a group with the expressed aim of promoting traditional architecture both within the profession and within the wider community. The TAG Constitution states:

“The aims of the society are to celebrate the highest achievements of the past as a living source for modern inspiration. The group seeks to work within architectural, planning and educational disciplines to promote the values of a traditional approach in architecture and design. The group will provide mutual support, a meeting point and a venue for the exchange of ideas for those individuals interesting in or practicing contemporary traditional architecture. Additionally, we also aim to support the diversity of individuals and correlated trades dedicated to supporting the knowledge of craft and design values associated with traditional architecture.”

Many people today yearn for a better quality of environment in their cities, towns and countryside. All too often, where changes do occur, the results represent a degradation of what was there before. We need to learn how to reshape our built environment in a way that reflects the desires and values of the community.

Traditional architects understand that buildings of the past are uniquely capable of satisfying people’s needs. In the past buildings were designed to be beautiful as well as well as functional. Architects were schooled in a tradition that had evolved over millennia - one that totally integrated the practical and aesthetic requirements of buildings.

Despite a century of mechanisation traditional skill and knowledge have never lost and some architects in Britain and elsewhere continued steadfastly to practise and develop traditional architecture. The members of this Traditional Architecture Group are heirs to this continuity.

Traditional architecture teaches us that by seeking to create and to recognise beauty we establish a contact with our own sense of humanity – a humanity that is shared by all. Traditional architecture comes in many different styles and forms, for it is produced by many different individuals and cultures and so variety is an essential aspect of it. But whatever its origins it is always accessible to all.

Traditionalists believe that, however much the times we live in might be subject to change, there are basic human values which do not change. Our values in respect of the built environment are an example of this. This is clear for when we look at great architecture of one hundred, five hundred, two thousand years ago its power is undiminished.

The Traditional Architecture Group is committed to developing the values established by long tradition and adapting them to the modern world. Traditionalism looks to the past only to see the future more clearly. In the new century traditional architecture is growing worldwide. Traditionalism is the solid, viable, long term future for architecture.

Mission - The Architecture Foundation leads the conversation on the development of London and contributes to a global discourse about the architect’s changing role and responsibilities. We pursue this mission through the delivery of an accessible public programme that makes space for emerging architects, groups historically underrepresented in the profession, and representatives of a wide range of related disciplines. Exploring the architect’s capacity to combat climate change and systemic social inequalities represent central concerns of the programme.

Programme - We host debates, make films, commission critical writing, curate exhibitions, publish books and engage industry figures with the aim of improving the quality of the discourse around London’s built environment. The 2018 programme featured 120 live events, ranging in scale from building tours for 30 people to lectures delivered to audiences of 1900.

Now in its fourth year, the lecture programme, Architecture on Stage, is delivered in partnership with the Barbican Centre and has featured many of the best architects from across the world. Recent landmark publications have included New Architects 3, a guide to the best practices to have set up in the UK over the past decade, and Project Interrupted, a book presenting lectures by British housing architects.

The free-to-download London Architecture Guide app has enabled tens of thousands of Londoners to learn about the architecture of their city. Competitions and free workplace residencies directed at young practices have provided career-transforming opportunities. The New Architecture Writers programme for young BAME critics is cultivating a more inclusive discourse, while the Architecture Schools database is opening up conversations between students and academics in universities.

Funding - The Architecture Foundation receives no public funding and is reliant on the financial support of many architects, engineers, developers and other built environment professionals across London, who are listed at the bottom of this website’s homepage.

If you are interested in becoming a Supporter please email: matea@architecturefoundation.org.uk

The Institute for Sustainable Construction at Edinburgh Napier University comprises some of Scotland’s leading built environment applied research and knowledge transfer centres. Our centres cover a range of construction disciplines, industry sectors and technical performance factors.

The work of Edinburgh Napier University's Forest Products Research Institute ranges from the practical to cutting edge scientific, and from the timber engineering requirements of the construction industry through to the manufacture of advanced, high performance materials derived from cellulose nano-fibres.

Of the four research centres which make up the institute, it is The Wood Studio which is most relevant to historic buildings, offering wood science, chemistry and timber engineering advice for both new construction and for conservation work.

We develop students through our personalised learning and links to industry and find solutions to societal problems through our research. Find out more about the University and how you can help us create a better future.

The Scottish Civic Trust was set up in 1967, to help people connect to their built heritage and take a leading role in guiding its development. In its infancy, it successfully campaigned for the restoration of Edinburgh’s New Town, was instrumental in the revitalisation of New Lanark and can also claim credit for bringing Doors Open Days to the United Kingdom.

Through supporting amenity groups, the Trust’s original objectives were:

- Well-informed public concern for the environment of town and country
- High quality in planning and in new architecture
- The conservation and, where necessary, adaptation for re-use of older buildings of distinction or historic interest
- Knowledgeable and therefore effective comment in planning matters
- The elimination of ugliness, whether resulting from social deprivation, bad design or neglect

Broadly speaking, we are still working towards the same objectives today.

We have a small staff team that works hard to achieve our objectives, working under the guidance of our Board. Everything we do centres around the following core values:

- We are robust and independent in advocating for Scotland’s places and spaces
- We are positive about the future of the built environment
- We lead thinking on Scotland’s civic spaces
- We collaborate across the heritage sector and beyond to develop ideas that tackle exclusion
- We support community groups looking after their locality

We are proud to represent Scotland’s civic sector and strive to ensure our amenity groups are active, empowered, and educated to make a difference in their locality.

We are fortunate to own our own eighteenth century townhouse in Glasgow, where we have maintained our offices since 1995. To celebrate 25 years of calling Tobacco Merchant’s House home, the Trust launched its “Written in Stone” campaign on 12th October 2020. The campaign seeks to establish a capital fund to cover the cost of future major repair works and ensure the preservation of this historic gem and the many stories held within its walls. We invite all with a passion for Scotland’s buildings and civic movement to contribute to the Written in Stone campaign by leaving a gift in their Will to protect the Tobacco Merchant’s House for future generations.