THE TOPIC of ‘Creative Conservation’ – bringing heritage buildings back to life for the modern day – will be the subject of this year’s Bromsgrove Lecture.
Aidan Ridyard will deliver the talk at Routh Hall, Bromsgrove School, on April 12.
Aidan graduated from Birmingham School of Architecture with first class honours degree and a distinction in his post-graduate diploma, which he completed in Venice, winning the prize for best portfolio of his year.
He has always worked in and around the Midlands, including a summer job in Bromsgrove.
He was director of a large international practice for eight years, leading its education team and winning prestigious design competitions in the UK and overseas.
In 2014 Aidan joined Burrell Foley Fischer Architects (BFF-Architects.com) as a partner to concentrate on increasingly challenging and rewarding projects.
Aidan has developed a reputation for working with ambitious architectural programmes at historically sensitive locations.
He has led schemes for very complex projects including the regeneration of a highly significant group of listed buildings (Grades I, II* and II).
They included the 1460 Guildhall in York, a new 1,350-seat theatre in Truro (incorporating two listed buildings) and a phased re-development of the Royal Society of Arts Grade I listed headquarters in central London.
He has helped develop strategic design strategies for Rhodes House in Oxford, Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire, and even a Grade II* Listed Victorian Glasshouse, being re-imagined as a zero carbon visitor centre in Great Yarmouth.
Aidan has also been working on his first book on the church architecture of Wolverhampton Architect Richard Twentyman, which will be published this year.
Closer to home, Aidan led BFF’s team for the redevelopment of The Roundhouse, as a canal side visitor centre in central Birmingham for the National Trust and C&RT, and is helping Bromsgrove District Council to develop their Bromsgrove 2040 vision for the Town Centre.
Over recent projects, Aidan and his team at BFF Architects, have been developing a series of uniquely crafted design solutions to unlock the potential of some remarkable historic buildings around the country.
These are characterised by a fresh approach to the perennial problems of helping historic structures find contemporary relevance and a meaningful long-term future in an ever changing world.
For The 35th Bromsgrove Lecture Aidan has brought together an overview of recent projects to share his experiences of Creative Conservation, helping to ensure sustainable futures for some remarkable buildings, right across the country.
Tickets for the event are just £7.50 per seat to include a drink after the presentation. Tickets are available online from bromsgrove-school.co.uk/boxoffice.aspx or in person from FotoFactory, 123 High Street, Bromsgrove.
Further details can be found on the Bromsgrove Society website bsoc.co.uk and social media platforms.
