In this episode we talk with Jonathan Taylor, exploring his beginnings in Architecture and then as a Conservation Officer, before the founding of the Building Conservation Directory. We discuss its success and some of the challenges Jonathan faces in publishing, as well as issues that are close to Jonathan's heart relating to conservation and his concern that conservation is about more than just the buildings. Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:26 - Jonathan Taylor biography 02:06 - What made Jonathan change from Architecture to conservation 05:47 - Not just the building but the whole social side too 08:52 - How did the Building Conservation Directory come about? 12:21 - How the BCD directory is funded 15:45 - How did you select where the BCD copies were sent?  18:35 - Did the internet change the BCD and it’s reach? 20:43 - Not really any trade secrets in conservation 22:24 - What about people wanting to write or advertise things that aren’t appropriate? 25:24 - The directory is the start of the specification process 26:05 - “People have asked for an accredited only publication…” 27:58 - Homeowners do phone in  31:37 - How do you keep articles up to date? 33:56 - The challenge of retrofit  37:27 - The debate on what is right or wrong 38:08 - Has conservation gone too far, and prevented evolution of buildings? 41:17 - How much, as a society, are we prepared to lose? 42:00 - How many buildings are of ‘traditional’ construction and how many listed? 42:51 - The other publications and articles that BCD cover 46:39 - New website looking exclusively at retrofit and sustainability  48:43 - Dr. Robyn Pender on a fresh way to look at historic buildings  50:54 - Global reach of the website 52:43 - “We will never abandon print” 53:18 - Jonathan’s recommended books  55:09 - Jonathan’s favourite buildings and why  59:21 - Training is one of the main subjects on the website too 59:53 - How to get in touch with Jonathan and the website Links:  Building Conservation Directory: https://www.buildingconservation.com Joint Position Statement: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/buildings/damp-in-historic-buildings/investigation-of-moisture-and-its-effects-on-traditional-buildings/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.