Alan Mark Forster

Alan Mark Forster is an Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University's School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, leading the MSc in Building Conservation. He holds roles as Programme Leader and undergraduate dissertation coordinator. His research focuses on low-carbon materials, climate resilience, and heritage technologies, supported by £1.14M in grants. He has supervised seven PhD students and authored 95+ publications, including award-winning papers. Awards include the Sir Edmund Happold Fellowship and RSE Visiting Fellowship.

Education:

• PhD in Building Conservation Materials Science (Heriot-Watt, 2002)
• BSc (First Class) in Building Surveying (Heriot-Watt, 1997)
• Lethaby Scholarship (SPAB, 2001)

Research Interests: Low-carbon materials, building resilience to climate change, HBIM, and conservation philosophy. His work bridges traditional methods with digital innovations like machine learning for heritage surveys.

Grants & Impact: Over 20 projects funded by EPSRC, AHRC, and others. Notable projects include £365K for heritage lab rejuvenation and £135K for regional lime mortar frameworks. Collaborations with University of Edinburgh, Historic Environment Scotland, and Czech Academy of Sciences.

Teaching: Courses include Construction Technology, Building Conservation Philosophy, and multi-disciplinary design projects. Awarded 2010 Teaching Prize and 'Spirit of Heriot-Watt' recognition.

Professional Roles:

• Fellow of HEA, CIOB, CABE
• Editorial roles for RICS Conservation Journal and Building Pathology & Adaptation
• External examiner for Anglia Ruskin and Northumbria Universities

Labs & Teams: Collaborates with University of Edinburgh's Cyberbuild Lab and Historic Environment Scotland on HBIM and climate resilience projects.