Exploring the Role of a Building Pathologist

What does this role look like?

This role will have you supporting a wide range of clients throughout the country. The projects you will undertake range from working with heritage organisations for architectural conservation, all the way to working with commercial property managers to assess damp and/or dry rot. Your work will include identifying, investigating and researching building failures. As a result, your work will contribute to restoring the integrity of important buildings, targeting moisture penetration and the performance/decay of materials.

What sort of properties/sites will I be working on?

As previously mentioned, the types of projects you will support will vary. We have worked on a diverse range of properties across the country, including national landmarks such as the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and Brighton Pavilion. In addition to this, we also undertake work on churches, stately homes, terraced houses, barns, ancient monuments and standing ruins. To summarise, your projects will come in all shapes and sizes, but ultimately they are all as important, and as beautiful, as one another.

Will I be out and about, or in the office?

Your working life will differ from week to week depending on what projects you are supporting. Ordinarily, working with us will consist of a combination of being out on site for a couple of days a week, and working from either the office or from the comfort of your own home. It is important to note that some of the sites we work on are difficult to reach using public transport, so we require our team members to hold a UK driving license.

How do I know if I’m suitable for the role?

Due to the nature of this job, there are many paths that could lead you to building pathology. For example, if you are interested in architecture jobs, building conservation jobs and/or structural engineering jobs, then building pathology could very well be for you as it combines many different disciplines into one role. Additionally, some key characteristics we look for include someone who likes to be outdoors working with their hands, but is also happy to do the report writing/recommendation side of the role.

Additional qualifications:

• Having a Bachelors or Master’s Degree in a field relevant to the construction industry and built environment (Historic Building Conservation, Building Conservation, Architecture, Surveying, Engineering, Built Environment: Sustainable Heritage)
• Have achieved or be working towards Chartered Membership of RIBA, RICS or other professional institutions is a bonus
• Have working knowledge of AutoCAD

Who are your clients?

We support a large number of clients across many sectors. We deal with many heritage organisations nationally including The National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland, The Royal Household, Crown Estate, Church Commissioners, Natural England, and central and local government bodies. We also often advise private householders and property owners, as well as working with the commercial property sector on both historic and contemporary buildings.

Where are the offices located, and what is the size of the business?

On top of our main office Netley House, located in Surrey, we have three other locations. These include Mottram in Manchester, Newark in Nottingham and Oxford. There are 33 team members spread across these four locations, but we are always looking to expand!