On a somewhat rainy Saturday morning, I took a train from Edinburgh Waverley station to the city of Stirling to visit the Engine Shed. The shed was originally used as a goods transfer shed and was built at the turn of the nineteenth century. It is situated next to the pretty local railway station of Stirling, a city which is incidentally celebrating its 900th anniversary this year. The shed underwent major refurbishment which has transformed it from a derelict building to a centre which blends modern science and historical building conservation techniques to ensure that Scotland’s architectural heritage is maintained.
The Engine Shed is usually not open to the public, but this was their open-day weekend where I was warmly welcomed by their staff. Interactive workshops and volunteers helpfully explained how conservation can be achieved with the use of innovative modern technology such as 3D digital surveys and infra-red thermal cameras that investigate heat loss in older buildings.
The centre and its work have been the beneficiaries of a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and it is a training centre accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and the National Open College Network (NOCN). The hub hosts a range of training and learning sessions for professionals, events for school groups, as well as offering building advice for traditional properties. Often the focus of these are on fundamental issues such conservation and energy efficiency.
Scotland’s energy efficiency targets
The team at the Engine Shed offer comprehensive information on traditional buildings with a focus on fundamental issues such: conservation, building components, building materials, common issues with old properties and vital information on how such buildings can become more energy efficient in order for Scotland to reach its ‘green’ target.
The Scottish government has set an ambitious goal to reduce the emission of CO2 to zero by 2045. How traditionally built buildings can become climate neutral is a challenge that will require a sympathetic approach as well as intense training to educate a new generation of tradespeople.
If the familiar architectural profile of our cities, and indeed Scotland’s built heritage, is to survive and retain its original charm and function, while also becoming energy efficient, new techniques with old craft skills will need to be combined. The tradespeople who built the UNESCO protected Edinburgh New Town and the Old Town, or the tenement buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh, had skills that have become more and more scarce if not completely forgotten.
Yet, if Scotland wishes to preserve its heritage, then these skills need to be enhanced, taught and practised. Therefore, there is a principle need to train people in traditional craftsmanship with the enhancement of traditional and new eco-friendly materials such as sisalwool™ – a natural fibre insulation that has recently been selected as a finalist for the VIBES Scottish Environment Business Award 2024 for the Scottish products category – married with the help of modern technology to preserve this unique legacy.
The Engine Shed is a centre for learning and training
The Engine Shed is an innovative centre that offers advice to homeowners, building sector professionals and tradespeople alike in how to retrofit old buildings. Areas of expertise include: roof insulation, ventilation, condensation, building permission, and maximising U-values – an indication of how well a construction is insulated and how resistant it is to heat loss resistance. There is a wide range of literature available that can be found under their website under publications.
The centre is part of the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and it is a centre for training in building conservation, which means it plays a vital role in ensuring that Scotland’s rich built heritage is preserved by the present generation for the future generations.
A circular economy
“Build a future from Scotland’s past”, is a slogan that promises to create a circular economy where locally sourced resources are used by newly trained tradespeople in keeping with traditional building techniques that are enhanced by modern technology. The importance of apprenticeships, which create new job opportunities for young people, while offering the building industry a pool of new employees. The teaching of these practical qualifications is paramount in order for Scotland to preserve its rich architectural heritage as well as sustaining Scotland’s appeal to tourists who delight in visiting the many cultural heritage sites. It is truly part of Scotland’s identity and iconic to its image in the world. The vastness of the job at hand promises secure economic futures for the young while preserving Scotland’s past.
The work at the Engine Shed is committed to preserving the past while offering future generations the opportunity to learn invaluable skills. This creates jobs as well as servicing homeowners with experts who can help them reduce their energy bills and their carbon footprint by making their much-loved old homes more sustainable. The cities and towns benefit from securely employed tradespeople who generate a secure form of tax revenue as well as preserving and maintaining buildings such as schools and churches that facilitate social interaction and are so important to the quality of life in our communities.
Winning future talent to preserve the past
Anybody who has ever lived in an old building knows that they need keen maintenance, and finding reliable and capable tradespeople can often be challenging. Owners, as well as the building industry, desperately need young talent to develop their digital competence with jobs where practical skills are equally as important. Apprenticeships for stonemasons, carpenters, joiners as well as energy efficiency consultants offer a broad spectrum that could be appealing to both school leavers and university graduates. Historic Environment Scotland has created the ‘Skills Investment Plan’ and many teams working at the Engine Shed aim to help deliver this plan. The plan was established in 2019, and it is to achieve three priorities: “growing provision and building capacity, attracting future talent and improving access, and fostering innovation”. The opportunity to upgrade your skills as a tradesperson is also a possibility that the Engine Shed offers.
I thank the team at the Engine Shed for making my visit so interesting and inspiring and hope that their excellent work gains more recognition and support from not only property owners, but tradespeople, and young people looking to gain qualifications in a sector that guarantees the preservation of our built heritage.
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