[HBP#31] - James Kenton - Conservation Secrets with a National Trust Architect

🎙️ You can also access the full Audio version of this Podcast by searching for 'Heritage Buildings Podcast' on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, PocketCasts, and your favourite podcast apps.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Welcome to another episode of the Heritage Buildings Podcast.In this special first on-site episode, Vincent Reed visits Scotney Castle to sit down with James Kenton, a National Trust senior building surveyor and conservation architect.James shares his journey from a farming background to discovering his passion for architecture through school work experience, university at Portsmouth, and trips to historic sites like Rome. He explains the path to becoming a conservation architect, including accreditation (AABC and RIBA) and professional qualifications.Discover the day-to-day work of a National Trust surveyor, from compliance and condition reporting to long-term planning and climate impact management. James also highlights church inspections, quinquennial surveys, and major projects at Chartwell, including stabilising Churchill’s kitchen garden walls and refurbishing the uniform room.Other topics covered include:Early career challenges during the 2008 credit crunchTrades skills, apprenticeships, and the future of craftsmanship in an AI-driven worldBalancing duty of care, project budgets, and return on investmentWork culture and learning opportunities during COVID and furloughPublications, BBC filming at Sissinghurst, and sharing expertise with the publicWhether you’re a heritage professional, architecture student, or simply curious about historic buildings and conservation, this episode offers invaluable insights into preserving historic places for future generations.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Below is a more detailed breakdown of the video with relevant timestampsClick the time on the left to jump straight to that section00:00 Meet James Kenton00:30 From Farming to Design00:55 Work Experience Spark04:54 University and Conservation09:09 Becoming a Conservation Architect09:49 Accreditation Case Studies14:45 Qualifying and Part Three19:38 Starting Out in the Credit Crunch21:44 Church Work and Inspections24:45 Climate Change Building Impacts25:46 Chartwell Projects Deep Dive31:58 National Trust Teams and Crafts35:02 Trades Skills and AI Future41:35 Work Culture After COVID44:04 Back to Scotney Castle44:13 Becoming Church Inspector45:39 Juggling Dozens of Churches47:22 From Farm Conversions to Ambition49:50 National Trust Interview Gauntlet52:04 Taking the Leap to NT53:39 Starting Then COVID Hits56:49 Furlough Era Extra Portfolios01:00:18 Portfolio Reshuffle After COVID01:01:49 Senior Surveyor Role Explained01:05:31 Day to Day Surveyor Work01:10:09 Reports, Budgets and Planning01:14:06 Balancing Duty and ROI01:16:43 Stress, Responsibility and Pride01:20:00 Where to Find More01:21:18 Publications and BBC Filming01:25:20 Final Thanks and Wrap Up---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with James Kentorn and learn more:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kenton-nt/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james_kenton/Email: jamesphkenton@gmail.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Learn more about the Heritage Buildings Association:https://heritagebuildingsassociation.comJoin the conversation:https://heritagebuildings.forum/share/dDYOnkLWJAkaA5xE?utm_source=manual#NationalTrust #ConservationArchitect #HistoricBuildings