Cornish Company Updates Scottish Government Ministers On Conservation and Heritage Works
Adam Desmonde met with Ministers, conservation experts and members of Historic Scotland to provide an update on the conservation and heritage works carried out by Desmonde Associates at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh – the heart and home of the Scottish Government.
Our team met with Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans, Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, and Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
Desmonde Associates, based in St Agnes, Cornwall are a Cornish family-owned business and have been carrying out heritage, conservation and structural design works right across the United Kingdom and abroad for the past 40 years.
“Our vast experience in listed buildings, structures, project management and heritage & conservation works, is what makes us best placed to ensure St Andrew’s House can be restored to its former glory and preserve this historically important property for future generations to come,” said Adam Desmonde BSc MSc, Managing Director, Desmonde Associates.
HBIM
Desmonde Associates employed some of the latest LIDAR scanning technology to produce a hyper accurate 3D model of the Caryatids at St Andrew’s House. The 3D models were then used to establish a conservation and repair plan as well as documenting the Caryatids for future and historical reference.
The team at Desmonde Associates then produced an in-depth Statement of Significance (SoS) for the entire building, encompassing both the interior and exterior. Preserving and recording heritage is the primary function of a SoS enabling future works to be designed to have minimal impact on heritage.
Using a workflow method developed over decades of working with heritage buildings, our team produced a detailed and comprehensive document identifying all of the areas of concern and details of St Andrew’s House which were highlighted as being of historical, social or cultural significance.
St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Our thorough research into the history of not just St Andrew’s House but also the site itself took several weeks. Retrieving documents from the National archives of Scotland. Some of the documents included the original drawings – which gave us unprecedented knowledge in understanding the complete history of the building, its structural makeup and materials used throughout the entire site.
During our time spent on site at St Andrew’s House we have continuously uncovered new and interesting historical features such as the death cell. Documenting these features enables us to preserve the heritage of the City of Edinburgh, which makes it so special. The follow up conservation work will undoubtedly help to preserve the fabric of St Andrew’s House way into the future.
The finished SoS will now be used as the basis for a conservation management plan, in addition to guiding the design and workflow of any future renovation and remedial works taking place at St Andrew’s House.
Desmonde Associates is proud to say that we have helped accurately record and continue to preserve such an historic and culturally important piece of Scottish history.
To read more about our work at St Andrew’s House, check out our previous projects here.
Scottish Ministers and Historic Scotland Inspecting repair works to caryatids at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh.