Building Briefs – June 25th

Chris Stewart Group secures blue chip tenant for 20 West Register Street

Chris Stewart Group (CSG) has pre-let the office space at 20 West Register Street, part of the property developer’s £85 million regeneration project at ‘The Registers’ in Edinburgh’s city centre, to Baillie Gifford.

The independent global investment manager will take over all 60,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation.

Extending over the ground floor entrance, seven upper floors and including fifth and sixth floor terraces, 20 West Register Street will be capable of accommodating approximately 700 members of staff once completed in early 2019.

Designed by Hoskins Architects, the building blends a modern sandstone and glass finish with an existing historic stone façade and sits on the south east corner of St Andrew Square.

It was announced last week that the entire building was acquired by Hines, the international real estate firm, in a forward purchase agreement, on behalf of its European Core Fund.

Property investor, developer and operator, CSG is currently delivering a £300 million investment programme across Scotland.

South Lanarkshire care investment will support healthier lives at home

Councillors have given the go-ahead to a significant investment in care facilities that will transform the care of the elderly in Hamilton/Blantyre.

The investment is the first phase in a remodelling of care facilities across South Lanarkshire that will help older people to live independently at home for as long as possible – which research shows most want to do.

The new facility, which will be built as part of the approved first phase, will serve the wider Hamilton area. It will support older people, their families and carers, providing transitional care between hospital and home as part of a wider package that will continue to include longer-term care home places and respite care.

On Wednesday, 20 June, the council’s Social Work committee approved plans for the first phase of development of the new care facility model focusing on Hamilton and Blantyre area.

It will focus on a new-build facility on a site at St Joseph’s in Blantyre to replace Larkhall’s McWhirter House and Blantyre’s Kirkton House – both older buildings that are no longer fit to meet the level of need of individuals with complex health and care requirements.

Further accolades for Countesswells

Countesswells, Aberdeen’s newest town, has celebrated another accolade after receiving a High Commendation in the ‘Innovation in Housing Awards’ at a ceremony event hosted by the Saltire Society.

Endorsed by the Scottish Government, the ‘Innovation in Housing Awards’ celebrates and highlights the new and creative ways in which housing in Scotland is delivered. It also encourages developers to be more innovative and deliver housing that creates wider benefits in areas such as social care, sustainability and adaptability.

This accolade follows Countesswells’ recent success at the RICS Awards 2018, where it was honoured as the winner of the best ‘Residential Property’ category. In addition, Stewart Milne Homes, the first developer at Countesswells, won large ‘Private Development of the Year’ at last month’s Homes for Scotland Annual Awards for its work on the first neighbourhood of Regency Place.

Entrants for the Saltire Society ‘Innovation in Housing Awards’ were judged on their contribution to creating desirable living environments, how they have met and delivered on housing needs, the aesthetics and quality of the community and on whether they have made Scotland a better place because of the project.

Pupils get a lesson at Taylor Wimpey’s Chapelhall development

Children from a primary school in Chapelhall have been given an exciting opportunity to see the new homes that are under construction at Taylor Wimpey’s Juniper Grove development as part of their ‘Houses and Homes’ project in school.

Youngsters from the Primary 3 class from Chapelhall Primary School explored the housebuilder’s development to learn about the construction of a new home; saw various stages of construction and took the opportunity to visit the show home at the development.

Whilst the children were at the development, the team took the opportunity to remind the children never to play near a building site and that a school visit was extra-special because normally there are no children allowed near any construction.

ACHA invests in Swedish Houses in Oban

Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) has gone on site with a £300k investment for external re-cladding on its eight family homes at Croft Avenue in Oban.

The properties are timber clad and were built in the early 1950s and are known as the Swedish Houses because of the wooden architectural style similar to properties built in Sweden.

The refurbishment work is being carried out by Stewart and Shields and will improve the thermal efficiency of the homes.

This £300,000 investment is a part of a £10.3 million capital investment programme in ACHA’s housing stock throughout Argyll and Bute in 2018/19.

Duns retirement housing development given kitchen makeover

Tenants at a retirement housing development in the Scottish Borders have had their kitchens given a new lease of life.

Bield’s Turnbull Court in Duns has seen its tenants’ kitchens undergo a major revamp, turning dated designs into modern living spaces.

The project, which was undertaken by the Response Building Maintenance Ltd, was carried out as part of Bield’s annual programme of kitchen replacement works.

With each individual being given the chance to choose a design to suit them, the renovation of the kitchens has been a resounding success with tenants and staff alike.

Located in Duns in the Scottish Borders, Turnbull Court provides 46 properties for people aged 50 and over.