Delivering a PAS 2038 condition survey and energy assessment across a limestone hall with a complex, multi-level layout, building the technical evidence needed to support Studio Skein’s sustainability funding application.
Project Overview
- Client: Studio Skein
- Sector: Charity & Community Organisations | Heritage & Listed Buildings
- Location: St Saviours Hall, Lambhay St, Plymouth (Barbican Conservation Area)
- Services Provided: PAS 2038 Retrofit Assessment, Air Tightness Testing, Thermal Imaging Survey, IOE (Improvement, Option, Evaluation) Modelling, Commercial EPC Certification
- Scale: 249 m² community hall (basement, two main halls, belfry, cupola – 13 zones assessed)
- Target: PAS 2038 compliant assessment to support sustainability funding applications
The Challenge
St Saviours Hall has been reinvented more than once since its foundation stone was laid in 1886 – built as a Sunday school, converted to a chapel after the adjoining church was destroyed in WWII bombing, later a residence and library, and since 2013 a community centre. Sitting within Plymouth’s Barbican Conservation Area, the solid limestone building needed genuine PAS 2038 expertise – at the time, we were one of only a handful of firms in the country to have completed multiple such assessments. The hall was suffering from a near-total lack of insulation, outdated electric heating, and widespread damp and mould, while any retrofit had to navigate the constraints of its conservation area setting. Studio Skein needed a PAS 2038-compliant assessment robust enough to support a funding application, while giving a clear, realistic picture of what could actually be changed.
The Solution
PAS 2038 Condition Survey & Energy Assessment
We carried out a full PAS 2038 assessment covering the building’s context, condition, and energy performance across all 13 zones – from the basement to the belfry and cupola. An air tightness test recorded a permeability of 27.54 m³/hr·m², dramatically above the standard expected of a modern building, while a thermal imaging survey confirmed the absence of insulation and revealed thermal bridging and air leakage paths throughout the fabric. IOE modelling let us evaluate improvement options specifically tailored to the hall’s conservation status – since being unlisted gave some flexibility, but the conservation area setting still ruled out anything that would compromise the building’s limestone construction or original wooden-framed windows. A Commercial EPC was generated to underpin funding applications, formalising the hall’s Display Energy Certificate rating of G157 as clear evidence of the urgency involved.
The Outcome
The assessment gave Studio Skein a clear, actionable roadmap: targeted insulation recommendations for the roof and walls, measures to tackle the damp and mould through improved ventilation and damp-proofing, and a plan to repair the original wooden windows rather than replace them – preserving the features that give the hall its character while still meaningfully improving its thermal performance. We also recommended moving from the existing patchwork of electric panel heaters to a more efficient, centrally controlled heating system. Altogether, the assessment gave Studio Skein the evidence and confidence to take the retrofit forward, balancing genuine energy improvement against the realities of working within a historic, conservation-area building.
Client Testimonial
The service you provided was very helpful in informing our understanding of the building and the design stage, with good communication and availability for follow-up queries following receipt of your report.
— Hilary Kolinsky, Director, Studio Skein
