James Douglas is a Lecturer in Building Surveying at Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh. He qualified as a chartered building surveyor in 1986 after over twelve years in the public, sector, dealing primary with the maintenance and adaptation of buildings. He has also had practical experience of inspecting and surveying buildings, particularly for dampness problems. He is co–reviser of Alan Oliver's book Dampness in Buildings and author of Building Adaptation. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Structural Survey and a Visiting Lecturer in technology, teaching building technology and maintenance technology for the College of Estate Management.