Practice

Fiona Raley BA (Hons) Dip Arch PGCE(HE) MSc AABC FHEA IHBC RIBA SCA

The practice was founded in 2019 as an independent accredited Chartered RIBA Practice and Historic Buildings Consultancy based in Kent and working across the south, south east and in Central London; able to travel to a wider context. Fiona is an RIBA accredited Specialist Conservation Architect, accredited consultant with the AABC and a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with over 20 years’ experience in practice.

Our work includes projects focussed on existing buildings and their settings, including listed buildings, un-designated assets, scheduled ancient monument sites and conservation areas; from rural vernacular to urban 20th century iconic landmark buildings. Our clients are institutions, private owners, and local authorities and we often work with other design led practices and as part of a multi-disciplinary team, to achieve a collaborative approach. Our conservation expertise can encompass one off consultations to projects including the full scope of services through all RIBA work stages - from feasibility to completion. Day to day, we have extensive experience of liaising with Historic England, local authority planning and conservation officers and funders.

We seek to understand and appreciate existing buildings and their settings in a holistic way. Their past informs us about their significance and heritage values and supports advice to clients in the pursuit of viable and sustainable futures; from new design interventions, repair strategies, and methodologies. The practice is particularly interested in a philosophical approach to conservation; how concepts of ‘arrested decay’ and ‘as found’ and archaeological concepts of ‘presentation’ can inform sensitive and appropriate proposals.

We are proud to retain our connections with education; teaching and lecturing to courses in Architectural Design and Building Conservation. We seek opportunities to share our knowledge and experience via published articles and voluntary roles, memberships of amenity groups, societies and to the wider community and architectural heritage sector. Fiona is a former assessor on the RIBA conservation accreditation panel and is the current Chair of the RIBA Expert Advisory group for conservation, a member of the RIBA Practice and Policy Committee and the Historic England Environment Protection Group and is currently a Guardian for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Monuments on their Education and Training Committee.

Services

  • Historic Building Consultancy

  • New Design Interventions

  • Statements of Significance

  • Heritage Statements

  • Interior re-ordering and design

  • Condition Reports

  • Design Guardian Role

  • Conservation Management Plans

  • Historic Buildings Research

  • Historic Buildings Reports

  • Principal Designer

Memberships  & Accreditation

  • Twentieth Century Society (C20)

  • Guardian and member of The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)

  • Register of Accredited Architects in Building Conservation (AABC) - Consultant Architect

  • Royal Institute of British Architects Conservation Register - Specialist Conservation Architect

  • Royal Institute of British Architects Chartered Practice

  • Royal Institute of British Architects Chartered Member

  • Architects Registration Board

  • Docomomo UK

  • Canterbury Conservation Heritage Forum

  • Edinburgh Group

  • International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)

  • Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC)

  • Inspecting Architect for the Diocese of Chichester, Canterbury, Rochester, Southwark and London

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

  • Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings (ASCHB)

Collaborators

  • Feilden Fowles Architects

  • Ian Chalk Architects

  • del Renzio & del Renzio

  • Jane Jones Warner

  • Hazle McCormack Young

  • Allford Hall Monaghan & Morris

  • Richard Griffiths Architects

  • Taylor Hare

  • Lissoni & Partners

  • Conker Conservation

  • CTP Consulting Engineers

  • Morley Von Sternberg

  • Holloway Studio

  • Phillip Meadowcroft Architects

Articles