Building Briefs – December 7th

Bell Building Projects Ltd (BBP) has secured a new contract from developer Century Land Ltd.

The project involves the construction of 2 terraces of light industrial units totalling 2,000 sq.m at Cornwall Street, Glasgow with associated external works and hardstanding.

The units are to be constructed to shell standard for sub division and fit-out by future tenants.

BBP are to be working with Burnet Bell Architect, Binnie Murray & Hutton QS, GM Civil & Structural Engineers and Design Me M&E Engineers.

The project is due to commence on site in January 2017 for a period of 24 weeks.

Image courtesy of Burnet Bell Architect.

Housing minister officially opens new Isle of Harris homes

Kevin Stewart MSP, minister for housing and local government, visited the Isle of Harris this week to open a new development by Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP).

The £1 million project – funded by Scottish Government, HHP and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – features 6 houses, 3 with 2 bedrooms and 3 with 3 bedrooms.

All the houses are fully insulated and use electricity supplied from the West Harris Trust turbine.

Memorial to tragic young architect

A memorial to a former Perth Academy pupil who died in a hillwalking accident has been unveiled at a nature reserve.

Euan Wright from Dundee, a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone, was an assistant architect with Perth-based Bell Ingram Design when he fell in October 2012 aged 30.

He had completed numerous projects for the RSPB and now Bell Ingram Design and his family, in consultation with the RSPB, have constructed a wall in his memory next to the reserve at the Loch of Starthbeg in Aberdeenshire, the last project which the talented architect designed before his death.

The refurbished visitor’s centre was officially opened recently with a ribbon cutting ceremony with members of Mr Wright’s family, Bell Ingram Design and RSPB colleagues in attendance.

CALA to showcase Jordanhill housing proposals

CALA Homes (West) will be welcoming the community of Jordanhill to a special information event today, giving residents the opportunity to glimpse its new housing proposals for the first time.

The homebuilder is proposing a high quality development of townhouses, villa apartments, mews cottages and family detached homes at the former Jordanhill Campus site of the University of Strathclyde.

CALA is keen to share its plans with the public at the information event, taking place at the David Stow Building on Southbrae Drive from 2-8pm.

The University has acquired Minded to Grant Planning Permission in Principle (PPP) Consent for a residential developer – and, as preferred developer, CALA Homes (West) is seeking to provide new homes through the submission of a Matters Specified in Conditions (MSC) and listed building applications in the New Year.

CALA wants to provide the local residents and businesses with an opportunity to see the proposals before the scheme is finalised, and representatives of the project team will be on hand throughout to hear their views.

The event is also an opportunity for locals to familiarise themselves with the PPP consent which establishes the acceptability of the proposed residential land use.

Plaques unveiled to honour engineering achievement of Kelvin Aqueduct

The engineering achievement of the 226-year-old Kelvin Aqueduct has been honoured with plaque unveilings by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

Designed by civil engineer Robert Whitworth and completed in 1790, the aqueduct is a major engineering structure on the Forth & Clyde Canal, and carries the main line of the waterway across the River Kelvin in the Maryhill area of Glasgow.

The impressive 122m-long aqueduct boasts four masonry arches, rising 21m above the river. Building of the structure started in 1787, and on completion the aqueduct was recognised not only as the largest ever constructed in Britain, but also the largest in Europe.

The plaques were unveiled by ICE Glasgow and West of Scotland chairman Graham Edmond and Scottish Canals’ heritage manager Chris O’Connell.

Dundee gets external wall insulation programme boost

Dundee City Council’s successful external wall insulation programme looks set to receive a boost with additional cash from a number of national sources.

A total of 48 properties in Maitland Street will receive the energy saving work after a successful bid for funds from a national underspend.

Turners FM, the contractors for the work, have been procured through council partners SSE.

The additional funding comes from Scottish Government Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland - Area Based Scheme (HEEPS - ABS), and energy efficiency measures reallocated from national underspend.

Elgin High Street revamp approved

Moray Council has given the go-ahead for the demolition of a prominent building in Elgin High Street and its replacement with a retail unit and a series of apartments.

The existing façade of 184-188 High Street – a B listed building – will be taken down and rebuilt using reclaimed materials from the site.

Terraced buildings to the rear will be knocked down and replaced with a three-storey block of apartments.

The 15 apartments will be available for short-term rental and will be marketed for tourist or business visitors as well as being made available to accommodate NHS agency staff.

A legal agreement will ensure that the apartments are retained in single ownership and that each apartment is not occupied by the same tenant for more than nine months to prevent them becoming permanent residential dwellings.

Members of Moray Council’s planning and regulatory services committee were told that the B listed building dated from the first half of the 19th century but had been vacant for around 10 years and was in a poor state of repair.

Although Historic Environment Scotland had submitted an objection, it had supported the downtaking and rebuilding of the B listed street front building.

The committee heard there were no other objections and that a letter of support for the proposal had been received from Elgin Community Council.

CMS donates sustainable material to clad children’s playhouse

Scottish window, door and curtain walling designer, fabricator and installer CMS Window Systems is donating pvc and metal offcuts from its manufacturing process to sustainably clad a children’s adventure playhouse.

The 4.7m x 4m insulated timber playhouse, built at the Baltic Street Adventure Playground in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, was constructed using WikiHouse, an online and community-led design resource which aims to bring about a digital revolution in the way houses are developed.

Students from Edinburgh University’s School of Architecture and Heriot-Watt University joined forces with volunteers from BAM Construction to build the playhouse with input from local children.

Established in 2013 by the art and architecture collective Assemble and arts organisation Create, Baltic Street Adventure Playground is a free-of-charge supervised adventure playground for children up to 12 years. The venture aims to connect local families and children to build a sense of community, and actively support children’s physical, social, emotional and developmental well-being.

As well as climbing frames, swings and tunnels, construction materials and tools are also available for the children to build their own dens and hide-outs. Specially trained play workers keep children safe, cook food on the campfire and support the children to pursue their own play, from make-believe to construction projects.

In June, CMS donated £1000 to the Playground as part of its ‘ten donations for ten years’ anniversary initiative.

Design Charrette fund given £300k boost

Communities across Scotland have the opportunity to map out the future of their areas alongside design experts following the awarding of Charrette grants from the Scottish Government.

Charrettes bring together the public, stakeholders and designers over a number of days to draw up proposals to make their towns and villages better places to live.

A second fund ‘Activating Ideas fund’ which supports participation and empowerment initiatives in disadvantaged areas has also announced funding today.

The two funds together have awarded almost £300,000. The 19 projects include –

New chief executive appointed at Dunbritton Housing Association

Dunbritton Housing Association has appointed Allan Murphy as its new chief executive officer following the early retirement of director Morven Short.

Currently on the Board of Management at Melville Housing Association, Allan has over 25 years’ experience in housing in a range of senior roles both in local authorities and at Hanover Housing Association.

Allan joined Dunbritton in 2014 as customer services manager and has led the reviews of customer services, rent and service charges and resident involvement.

He also played a lead role in driving the Association to achieve the ‘Committed to Excellence’ Assessment – 2 Star award.