HEAD OF DISCIPLINE: MATTHEW DYER

Historic places must meet today’s needs while safeguarding the qualities that make them significant. Successful conservation balances these demands, enabling places to evolve with care while remaining useful, resilient and relevant for generations.

Every project begins with understanding significance. We help clients understand what gives a place its value and provide the evidence needed to make informed decisions about its future care, repair and adaptation.

Those decisions are rarely made in isolation. As part of Austin-Smith:Lord’s multidisciplinary practice, our conservation team works alongside colleagues in architecture, landscape architecture and interiors from the earliest stages of a project. This integrated approach helps resolve complex challenges early, balancing heritage significance with practical use, sustainability and deliverable design solutions.

The challenges presented by historic buildings are rarely straightforward. Understanding how a building has evolved over time helps us identify the causes of deterioration and develop repair, adaptation and design strategies that protect significance while responding confidently to contemporary needs.

Wherever possible, we prioritise repair, retention and thoughtful adaptation. Extending the life of existing buildings conserves the resources already invested in them, reduces waste and strengthens the character that makes places distinctive. We see conservation as an important contribution to a circular, low-carbon future.

Many of our projects are delivered while buildings remain fully operational. Whether working in nationally significant landmarks or much-loved local buildings, we help clients manage change with confidence through carefully planned, phased delivery.

By combining conservation expertise with integrated design, we help clients care for historic places, ensuring they remain useful, resilient and relevant for generations to come.