Preserving Historic Masonry Buildings with Rain Gardens : A Sustainable Solution to Rising Dampness
Historic masonry buildings are not just architectural marvels—they are living testaments to centuries of craftsmanship, culture, and history. Yet, these irreplaceable structures face a growing challenge: rising dampness. This persistent issue accelerates material degradation, compromises indoor air quality, and reduces the usability of these cherished spaces.
At the University of Surrey, the Historic Masonry Buildings' Rising Dampness Mitigation using Rain Gardens (HMB-RDM-via-RG) project, led by Dr Marco Francesco Funari, Dr Dan Bompa, and Val Juhasz from Core Conservation, is tackling this challenge with an innovative approach: the use of rain gardens as green infrastructure to mitigate rising dampness. By bridging modern engineering and sustainable solutions, this project offers a groundbreaking method to protect our built heritage.
Empowered by the Reclaim Network
This groundbreaking initiative would not have been possible without the generous support of the Reclaim Network. Their funding has been transformative, enabling us to explore the impacts of rain gardens on historic building preservation. Thanks to this opportunity, we have delved deeper into the intersection of sustainability and heritage conservation, gaining invaluable insights that will shape future approaches.
We are deeply grateful to the Reclaim Network for believing in our vision and empowering us to preserve the essence of our historic urban fabric. This Knowledge Exchange Visit has not only unlocked incredible learning opportunities but has also opened doors for future collaborations and funding prospects.
Collaboration at the Heart of Innovation
The success of the HMB-RDM-via-RG project lies in the strength of its interdisciplinary collaboration. Reciprocal visits between the University of Surrey and Core Conservation have fostered meaningful knowledge exchanges, blending academic research with industry expertise. This synergy has been instrumental in defining experimental methodologies and ensuring the practical feasibility of rain gardens as a mitigation strategy.
This partnership exemplifies how academia and industry can come together to tackle complex challenges, paving the way for future innovations in heritage conservation.
A Vision for the Future
The HMB-RDM-via-RG project represents more than a solution to a singular problem—it is a paradigm shift in heritage preservation. By integrating modern engineering with sustainable green infrastructure, this initiative demonstrates that we can safeguard our past while building a greener, more resilient future.
The project’s potential goes beyond mitigating rising dampness. It serves as a blueprint for using eco-friendly technologies to address broader challenges in urban development, inspiring new ways to balance preservation with progress.
Let’s preserve the past, innovate for the present, and build a sustainable future
This Knowledge Exchange Visit has been supported by the UKRI-funded RECLAIM Network Plus grant (EP/W034034/1).