When we embark on a professional career with a well defined job description little do we know that the job we were once qualified for will morph into something entirely different. Let me give you an example, you train for 7 years, then another 2 years part time to become an architect with a specialism in historic buildings working in a site office on a National Trust property you have no concept of what lies ahead.
Fast forward to working abroad as an international consultant and fresco conservator. 10 years later in planning for another 10, the design work goes out of the window only to be replaced with an overview of the national grant systems (now virtually defunct), strategic decision making and public inquiries. Finally the legacy of working in architecture dawns on me. It is a love affair with a building tradition, with familiar regional materials, forms, colours and textures. We can understand the process, what makes buildings special and how to preserve and celebrate what we most cherish.