the project

Thomas Robinson Architects have been providing Quinquennial Church Condition surveys for Glasgow Presbytery for the last 15 years. The surveys involve a detailed study of building fabric and services in churches, halls and manses and require us to provide approximate costs to carry out the repair works identified. Works identified are broken down into urgent, essential and desirable categories and future planned maintenance works are also recommended. On some occasions we are then asked to manage the repairs process.

How we worked

Carrying out condition surveys of churches, manses and halls is an exercise in methodical inspection backed up by knowledge of construction and common building defects. We regularly have a large group of surveys to carry out over a period, and our office manager co-ordinates the inspection visits between our Architects, the property fabric convenors and the other specialists involved in aspects of the survey inspections. All of the surveys are recorded on spreadsheets, which are then summarised with the important points highlighted and recorded in photographs. 

Success of the project

Thomas Robinson Architects are asked to provide condition surveys every year for the Church of Scotland. The surveys are used by the building fabric convenors to organise repairs and maintenance. In this way major neglect leading to major unnecessary building repairs can be avoided. It is therefore considered that the money invested in reporting in these building inspections is a good investment.