ABSTRACT
The case studies in Chapter 2 are directed at buildings completed in the very recent past, or in the case of the Grand Louvre still being completed. Authoritative studies of how well quality has been maintained over longer periods of time are scarce. A study undertaken by the Building Research Station in the 1960s is one of the few made. The Station knew much about problems resulting from poor technical performance of structures and materials. To present a more balanced approach to building practice, it investigated the overall performance over time of a number of buildings erected by reputable builders, who employed craftsmen capable of carrying out work of the quality required by architects of experience. The aim was to discover how far traditional practices achieved buildings of quality.
