On Tuesday 4th July 2006 Norman & Underwood were pleased to welcome thirteen architects from the West Midlands Architects Conservation Group to a ‘study day’, which forms part of the Architects CPD programme.

Many professional organisations require their members to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) after they qualify.   This enables the architects to undertake activities to fulfil development needs.

CPD training will keep architects up to date with the latest developments, ensure they meet the requirements of their professional body and will help them progress in their careers.

Norman & Underwood arranged three separate hour-long seminars and each group visited each seminar in rotation.

Seminar 1 – Traditional Sand Cast Lead – A half hour demonstration of the art of casting lead, a process that has remained largely unchanged since Roman times.  The delegates also had the opportunity to experience hands-on lead welding under the watchful eye of our very experienced craftsmen.

Seminar 2  -  Stained Glass Restoration – The group were given a presentation of the art of painting stained glass windows, the type of paint used, the differing methods of application and the different types of glass that we stock.  They were also given the opportunity to produce a small leaded light that involved the cutting of the glass and the soldering of the lead joints. 

Seminar 3  -  Copper in Architecture – this presentation began with a brief look at the history of copper, the production of the material itself and its common applications.  Design considerations, compatibility with other building materials, thermal movement allowance, the natural patination process and budget costs were also discussed. 

This introduction to copper cladding described the principal design concepts and considerations that need to be borne in mind when designing with copper.

At the end of the day  the general consensus of the architects was that it had been an excellent experience and their knowledge of various conservation techniques had been greatly improved.

Peter Bassett the coordinator for the WMAC later wrote to Norman & Underwood to say that it was the general consensus of the group that it was the most informative and interesting CPD study they undertaken so far.