In the words of Sir Bernard Feilden, the conservation of historic buildings is a complex series of actions taken coordinately by several professionals

in order to prevent the decay of a building while preserving and enhancing the cultural values embedded in it. Furthermore, in the introduction to the publication of the European Architectural Heritage Awards of 1976 … ‘To conserve has come to have a wider meaning which can embrace the rational use, re-use, adaption, extension and enhancement of scarce assets (i.e. a listed or heritage building)’.

Accordingly, I will take the conservation of Monsalvat to be its projected re-use and configuration as an architectural studio/living space, and the means (or complex series of actions) by which I will attempt to achieve this.

In considering the question of re-use, two major, rather contentious issues loom large. First is the suitability of the proposed new use, and second is the acceptability of the structural and architectural changes any new use might necessitate.

There will be those for whom no new use of a (former) church is acceptable or appropriate. However, my conscience compels me to think that (almost) any re-use is preferable to decay and eventual ruin.