Canada has a vast and varied inventory of heritage buildings that are recognised not only for their architectural merit but also for potential business and private development .The tide of perception that heritage buildings are an economic drain and must be demolished is changing. More enlighten developers are realising that heritage buildings can offer unique spaces that are desirable to potential tenants. 

However the need to recognise that these buildings will need a degree of sympathy when restoring or altering these buildings is important not just to the individual property but to the whole cultural landscape in which the structure is placed.

The lecture will focus on the conservation-restoration of heritage buildings with an emphasis on architectural woodwork and in particular wood windows and doors. Using actual examples such as Dundurn Castle and The Hamilton Club as well as various private owed residences, we will explore correct techniques of restoration that encompass both traditional skills and modern technology. We will show how correct and sympathetic restoration methods can directly transform and enhance historical properties.

We will focus on how traditional windows and doors can be upgraded to current thermal and acoustic levels. How traditional windows can be made to work and to continue functioning with the augmentation of modern technology. The long term advantages of keeping original windows will be examined from the aesthetic viewpoint, operational considerations and financial perspectives.