Protecting our future or preserving our past? Striking the balance of sustainability in heritage spaces

Earlier this year, the Heritage Alliance published its ‘Heritage Creates’ report, highlighting the social and cultural value of heritage assets and the opportunities to support sustainable growth and investment through measures such as VAT incentivisation. To truly realise this potential, James Smith, Associate Heritage Building Surveyor at Pick Everard, suggests that we must find more pragmatic and adaptable (and hence future-proofed) ways of aligning conservation with sustainability.

The growing necessity for adaptation

For many, the thought of retrofitting historic buildings provokes instant concern. For example, introducing interventions such as double glazing or renewable energy systems can be seen as compromising their authenticity. Yet, the reality is that without adaptation, many of these buildings risk obsolescence.

With built environment being responsible for around 40% of global carbon emissions, many argue that heritage assets should not (in fact, cannot) be exempt from the drive to reduce operational energy use. Sensitive retrofitting offers a route to both preserve the longevity of historic buildings and ensure they remain usable spaces.

As set out in Pick Everard’s sustainability strategy: Leaving Positive & Lasting Legacies, the challenge therefore is not about choosing between conservation and sustainability but about weaving them together in a way that respects history and addresses the challenges of our modern world.

Working with heritage specialists

Successful retrofit begins with understanding how traditional buildings were designed to function. Materials such as lime, stone and timber behave differently from modern alternatives, allowing older buildings to “breathe” by naturally regulating moisture and maintaining a stable internal environment. When modern materials or methods are used without recognising this, problems such as trapped damp and fabric decay can occur.

Pick Everard’s work with Queen Alexandra’s House in London demonstrates how this balance can be achieved. Built in the 1880s as accommodation for students at the Royal College of Music, the current building owners of the Grade II listed building wished to plan careful repair and improvement work to improve comfort and energy efficiency without losing its historic character.

Our team prepared detailed condition reports, an ongoing maintenance and capital works plan, a costed schedule of works, and costed proposals for improving environmental performance. This approach ensured that sustainability measures complemented the building’s heritage, rather than competing with it.

At Pick Everard, we play an active role in preparing sustainability-led technical design solutions. Working closely with our clients to develop heritage-sensitive proposals that range from architectural design to structural repairs and mechanical and electrical improvements. With involvement from in-house sustainability experts throughout the design process, we ensure that opportunities to measure and guide improvements are central to the approach.

Embracing technological opportunities

Modern technology is now playing a key role in supporting this balance. Tools such as 3D laser scanning, thermal imaging, and environmental sensors allow specialists to understand building performance in much greater detail before making changes. This means decisions are based on actual (rather than estimated) data, reducing the risk of unintended damage and improving long-term outcomes.

Looking ahead, the use of AI-driven building management systems and smart monitoring could further optimise heating, cooling and energy use. These systems can help historic buildings respond dynamically to their environment, maintaining comfort and efficiency while minimising carbon emissions.

The case for early collaboration

Achieving a balance between conservation and low impact and future proofed solutions relies on early collaboration. When architects, engineers, surveyors, conservationists, contractors and clients come together from the outset, projects are far more likely to succeed in delivering positive outcomes.

Too often, risks and challenges emerge late in the process, creating costly delays or contentious disputes. By encouraging early collaboration, we can mitigate hazards, protect heritage value, and integrate sustainable solutions in a way that feels coherent rather than combative.

At Pick Everard, we encapsulate the benefits of this process in our commitment to ‘shift our thinking to the left’.

Addressing financial uncertainties

Even with the best intentions, heritage projects are frequently undermined by financial uncertainty. Without clear and robust data from the outset, costs can be unpredictable and the risks of unexpected issues - from hidden structural defects to complex planning requirements - can be significant.

The case for VAT reform, as set out in Heritage Creates, is therefore just one of a number of critical factors that underpin the success of the ambitions here. Incentivising sustainable adaptation through fiscal policy would help progress stalled projects and give greater confidence to investors, developers and owners.

Navigating a fragmented system

Another challenge lies in the inconsistencies of the current planning system. Ambiguous guidelines and varying interpretations of identical statutes across local authorities creates confusion and delays, particularly when it comes to Grade II listed buildings.

This lack of clarity not only frustrates clients and practitioners, but places a huge strain on already stretched (and financially- and resource-constrained) planning departments. The movement of experienced heritage professionals into consultancy has further reduced capacity in this context, leaving local authorities struggling to respond in a timely or consistent manner.

Exploring new tools (including AI-driven administrative systems) and smarter ways of collaborating and sharing information, could help to ease those pressures, freeing up conservation officers to focus on decision-making and quality outcomes rather than administrative backlogs.

Towards a pragmatic approach

Ultimately, what is needed is a shift towards pragmatism. Too many projects are stalled or derailed by prolonged disputes over relatively minor details. While rigorous oversight is vital, it must be proportionate to the scale of the intervention and the long-term benefit of ensuring these buildings remain viable.

This does not mean lowering standards. Rather, it means embracing a more balanced view – one that recognises that heritage and sustainability are not opposing forces but complementary objectives.

In many cases, agreeing not to ‘achieve everything now’ has a key role to play – as long as the solutions we settle on today facilitate low cost, low intervention upgrades in the future. This concept is particularly important when a delivery team sets out to achieve fully net zero, climate resilient or circular outcomes in a heritage setting.

Preserving heritage for the future

The buildings we now consider historic were once modern interventions in their own right. If we want them to survive for the next 100 or 200 years, they must be allowed to evolve.

By encouraging collaboration, reforming financial frameworks, streamlining planning, and embracing AI tools, we can create a system that works for both people, places and planet. The goal should not be to freeze heritage in time, but to ensure it remains a living, breathing part of our future.

As the Heritage Alliance states, investment in heritage is an investment in our economy, communities, and environment. But to realise that vision, we must let pragmatism guide us to protect our past while preparing for what lies ahead.