Building Environment looks at the interaction between building materials and systems and their surroundings, and how this may lead to deterioration. It presents ways of assessing remedial treatments, and includes discussions on occupant health and sustainable retrofitting.

The contents reflect the work of the Building Conservation and Research Team, their colleagues at Historic England, and their consultants and researchers, who together have many decades of accumulated experience in dealing with deteriorating building materials and systems of all types. This multi-disciplinary team of architects, surveyors, conservators and scientists are responsible for standard setting and research across a wide range of Historic England activities. The team specialises in dealing with the practical, technical and scientific aspects of building materials decay and their treatment. The aim has been to provide practical advice by advocating a common approach of firstly understanding the material or building element and why it is deteriorating, and then dealing with the causes. The books concentrate on those aspects which are significant in conservation terms, and reflect the requests for information received by Historic England.

About This Book. Using These Books. Introduction 1. The Building Environment 2. The Building Itself 3. The Building Envelope 4. Failure of the Envelope Part 1: Building Science 5. Conservation of Energy 6. Understanding Failures 7. Failure Under Load 8. Thermal Behaviour 9. Moisture in Building Materials Part 2: Interactions with the Environment 10. The Building Envelope 11. Functions of the Building Envelope 12. Interior Parts of the Envelope 13. How the Envelope Modifies the Interior Conditions 14. The Effect of Building Occupation Part 3: Controlling the Interior Environment 15. Environments for Users
16. Ventilation 17. Heating 18. Cooling 19. Lighting 20. Service Supplies Part 4: Deterioration and Damage 21. Environmental Deterioration 22. Deterioration of Materials 23. Deterioration of the Envelope Part 5: Assessing the Building Environment 24. Environmental Assessment 25. Background Research 26. Building Performance Surveys 27. Specialist Investigations 28. Diagnosis Part 6: Care and Repair 29. Day-to-Day Care 30. Treatment & Repair 31. Dealing with Persistent Issues 32. Planning Interventions 33. Interventions on the Envelope 34. Modifying the Interior Environment 35. Assessing Interventions Part 7: Special Topics 36. Buildings & Human Health 37. Dealing with Disasters 38. Improving Energy & Carbon Performance Glossary. Index. Acknowledgements and Picture Credits