Building Briefs – December 1st

After a run of almost 50 years, Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium is almost at the finishing line as preparations are put in place to shut its doors this Sunday for the last time.

The closure of the flagship venue marks the end of an era and the start of a new one as the building will now be decommissioned to make way for a new state-of-the-art sports centre for people in Edinburgh and beyond to enjoy for decades to come.

Meadowbank was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games and has been used by various clubs and sporting celebrities over the decades, which has prompted nostalgia among the sporting community as the current premises reaches the end of its life.

Architect designs the new Meadowbank were released in September revealing the planned look and feel for the new Meadowbank, which is due to be operational by 2020.

Marr College fit for the future after extensive modernisation

Education for generations of people in Troon has been transformed following the completion of a comprehensive modernisation programme.

South Ayrshire Council’s project to breathe new life into Marr College was marked at an official opening on Wednesday 29 November, with young people and parents among the 240 guests.

The £37 million award-winning building, which received Scottish Government funding of £18.5m, was officially opened by John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and cabinet secretary for education and skills.

The project to transform the 1935 building began in spring 2015 when new all-weather facilities opened for use in June of that year. By December 2016 the new technical wing and the refurbished side of the Marr building became available. Finally, 2017 saw the opening of the south wing of the Marr building and the new PE block, helping to adapt the 20th century building to meet modern needs.

The work was completed as part of a £94mi pipeline of works being delivered across South Ayrshire, with the aim of enhancing standards through targeted investment. The main contractor was Kier Construction in partnership with hub South West Scotland.

The Marr College modernisation recently won ‘Project of the Year’ at the Education Buildings Scotland Awards, which celebrate excellence and achievement in the design and innovation of educational buildings across Scotland.

Equity partner selection process commences for £2bn offshore wind farm

Global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has commenced the selection process to bring on board a majority equity partner to help take its 450 megawatt Neart na Gaoithe project into construction and commercial operation.

The process, which is being managed by KPMG London, is expected to conclude in early 2018.

The NnG offshore wind farm, located off the east coast of Scotland, is fully consented and was awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) by the Low Carbon Contracts Company in February 2015. The CfD, which was awarded under a highly competitive tendering process, gives the wind farm an inflation-linked strike price for the electricity it produces for a period of fifteen years. NnG was one of only two offshore wind farms to secure a CfD contract through this auction process in early 2015.

Scottish Green Energy Awards winners announced

Cutting-edge energy generation technology and the people who help Scotland make a global renewable energy impact are among some of the winners at the 2017 Scottish Green Energy Awards.

The event, which took place in Edinburgh last night, saw winners across 11 categories receive trophies for their work in the country’s 26,000-strong renewables industry.

The full list of winners is:

Last night’s winners were drawn from a shortlist of 40, compiled by a panel of 10 judges, from almost 100 entries.

The event was headline-sponsored by EDF Energy Renewables.

hub West Scotland lends a ‘helping hand’ to community facility

hub West Scotland has teamed up with supply chain partners to make a real difference to a local community through its Helping Hands initiative.

The project provides skills, labour and materials to upgrade a valued facility in need of some repair.

Work has just completed on a project at Harestanes community facility in Kirkintilloch. The facility is home to pensioners clubs, school clubs, toddler groups, and brownies clubs, and is fondly regarded by locals as the heart of their community.

Around £20,000 of work has been carried out by a range of supply chain partners, including Kier Construction Scotland, which has project managed the initiative.

Work carried out included repairing the building’s walls, roof and windows and painting the building. Inside the facility floors were repaired, it was decorated and new external doors fitted. The generous supply chain also donated a new dishwasher, cooker and sinks.

The suppliers that have contributed are:

ICB (Projects) wins award for work at Carrongrange School

ICB (Projects) Ltd has won an accolade for its work at Carrongrange School in Grangemouth near Falkirk.

The company picked up an award for best Green Roof installation at the NFRC Scottish Roofing Contractor of the Year Awards 2017 in Glasgow earlier this month.

ICB Projects was recognised for its application of the Evagreen green roof system at Carrongrange School. The additional support needs secondary school required a roof garden which could be used and enjoyed by young people with a wide range of needs.

Working with the school and client Bug’s Life, the 300m2 green roof was managed and fitted by ICB Projects and features over 500 plants.

£5m Russell Institute restoration wins architecture accolade

A £5 million refurbishment project in Paisley has picked up a prestigious architecture accolade.

The A-listed Russell Institute building has won the Conservation Award from the Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) after undergoing a major restoration scheme, which the GIA described as ‘a clever re-use of this important 1920s listed building which has been brought back to its former glory’ and adding the scheme had been ‘executed with great skill’.

Designed by architects Elder and Cannon, the project was carried out by contractor CBC and funded by Renfrewshire Council, the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

The revamp was part of a wider project to revitalise Paisley Town Centre and saw CBC charged with ensuring the Institute’s distinctive features were retained, from the ornate sculptures on the outside of the building to its staircase and interior balcony.

Officially reopening in August, the former health centre is now home to Skills Development Scotland and the Council’s Invest in Renfrewshire employability team.

Derelict Barrhead home brought back to life

East Renfrewshire Council has continued its commitment to delivering additional affordable housing in the area with the renovation of a property in Barrhead.

The property in Divernia Way previously lay derelict for almost ten years following extensive fire damage. It has now been completely renovated into a three bedroom property following a compulsory purchase order and investment from the council.

A range of external and internal work has been carried out to give this home a new lease of life. Inside the home this has included replacement stairs, ceilings, floors windows, central heating and a modern kitchen and bathroom. Externally the roof and roughcast has been repaired and loft insulated, new external stairs to the property and slabbing and fencing in the garden.