30th November 2020

Newsletter No 2

The Energy Pathfinder Webinar No 2 was held on 11th March 2020. This was the second in a series of webinars to be hosted by NCE Insulation as part of the Energy Pathfinder project. The webinar was introduced and chaired by José Ospina, Project Manager of Energy Pathfinder Project.

The webinar covered the work that Energy Pathfinder partner Landsverk have been doing to achieve the sustainable energy renovation of traditional buildings located at the historic vicarage of Viðareiði, situated on the Faroe Islands. 

Bárður Dam í Baianstovu of Landsverk delivered a presentation that examined the vicarages history, cultural narrative, building fabric and sustainable solutions that aim to approach near zero energy in the historic building. 

In 2007 Viðareiði was developed as a Faroese business area and as a result new approaches to conserving and maintaining the vicarage have been applied by the Diocesan authorities. Many of the parsonages were in bad condition after several decades of disrepair so a plan for the extensive renovation of the vicarage in Viðareiði was put in place. Built in 1854 the vicarage has very fine examples of craftsman traditions through the centuries and a rich social history. The Diocesan authorities worked together with the Ministry of Culture and Landsverk in the retrofitting of the building. As part of the renovation the vicarage has now shifted to more renewable energy solutions which are currently being monitored as part of the Energy Pathfinder project. 

The Diocesan authorities continue to approach sustainable energy solutions in the vicarages and are working on plans for the church, parsonages and other buildings in the Diocese to become green buildings in the future.

The seminar began with a meet and greet, where the people attending got to have a chat over a cup of coffee. There was a warm welcome to the event by Rebecca Bain and Vanessa Glindmeier of Historic Environment Scotland who gave a background on the Adapt Northern Heritage project and its demonstrator sites.  

Attendees were then given the chance to visit a local case study, The Red Abbey Tower, situated across the road from Nano Nagle Place. It was a cold yet sunny February morning and it was a treat to get to examine a place that is part of the fabric of the city and is the only structure in Cork that has survived since medieval times, originating as an Augustinian friary in the late 13th or early 14th century. As a site it had a colourful history from its use as a sugar refinery in the 18th century to being enveloped by housing during the 19th century. 

After lunch, the Red Abbey was used as a case study and  groups then undertook a risk management assessment. The groups looked at hazards, conservation challenges and environmental drivers and noted observations in seminar workbooks. Each group then attempted to define and prioritise the risks highlighted as well as timelines.

The overall experience was very interactive, informative, educational and socially engaging. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the great work being done by Adapt Northern Heritage, but it was also a fantastic networking prospect to meet like minded individuals and groups working in Cork city.