A Career in Building Conservation – the path to accreditation
Come and find out how to become an accredited building conservation professional and why that’s important
David McDonald OBE is a Trustee and Chair of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s professional body for historic environment conservation specialists. He is a heritage consultant specialising in training for built environment professionals and has worked as a town planner at the London Borough of Camden.
Until 2011 David was Conservation Design Team Leader at the Royal Borough Kensington, a post he held for over 20 years. He joined the IHBC at its inception and is working with other board members towards chartered status for the Institute. David is also a published author and co-wrote the RIBA Conservation Guide.
He was awarded an OBE in 2026 for services to the Historic Built Environment and to Charity.