Our Approach
We are highly accomplished as engineering consultants in the heritage field; our familiarity with historic materials, construction techniques and experience in determining historical context allows our technical team to provide sympathetic, holistic solutions, best balancing functionality against good conservation principles.
Meinhardt’s structural pedigree and understanding of the behaviour of historic materials has allowed us to sympathetically incorporate new structure within or alongside the footprint of existing buildings without compromising the integrity of the original structure.
Our Heritage Capabilities
Structural and condition assessment of key historic materials
- Steel, concrete, timber, wrought iron, cast iron, brick and stone
- External and internal fabric surveys and repair scheduling
- Diagrammatic and tabulated reporting
- Repair details and specification
- Maintenance work plans
Heritage façades and windows
- Inspection, diagnostics and remediation
- Upgrade of heritage windows to acoustic and ESD requirements
- Historic window frames: steel, cast iron, bronze and timber
- Waterproofing and rainwater goods including flashing, cappings, gutters, downpipes and roof membranes
Historic construction investigations
- Feasibility studies for additions and alterations
- Archival investigations
- Specification and direction of non-destructive testing
- Specification and direction of targeted opening-up works and making-good
Adaptive reuse of existing structures
- Structural design of new structure within or beside the existing footprint
- Bringing historic buildings to modern engineering standards – structure and glazing
Strengthening design
- Floor, wall, ceiling, roof and parapet strengthening for change of use
- Back analysis of existing structure to provide advice on the requirements for strengthening
- Development of economic, feasible solutions
Protection design
- Bespoke protective structure design
Legal documentation
- Expert witness services, peer reviews and due diligence