The research laboratory within the Restoration and Preservation Department was set up in 2019 to create scientific data that could inform intervention decisions. Materials including stone and mortar, from existing historic sites as well as those newly proposed, are both studied, with a primary focus on their physical properties. The laboratory is dedicated to studying materials that form part of its restoration projects and strives to promote compatibility between old and new. It seeks to guide decisions, during the intervention process and works to build new knowledge through its continually growing database.