Alloa Hub has been announced the winner of Stirling Society of Architects Sustainability Award.

Austin-Smith:Lord was appointed by Hub East Central to convert the former Alloa public convenience into a new Community Hub to enhance local identity and promote active travel such as walking, running and cycling.

The refurbishment demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability by retaining and upgrading a thermally poor energy-performing building with a deep retrofit approach that significantly improves the building’s thermal efficiency, transferring the building into a valuable decarbonised community asset with very low running costs. Furthermore, the travel hub discourages use of private vehicles and promotes health and wellbeing by encouraging outdoor activities that allow people to connect and appreciate nature.

The Hub was part of a wider ‘Living Alloa’ project, winner of the ‘Improving Scotland’s Places’ SURF Award; https://www.surf.scot/2022-surf-award-winners-announced/

It was also shortlisted alongside some strong competition in the recent RTPI Scotland ‘Best Project’ category: https://www.rtpi.org.uk/find-your-rtpi/rtpi-nations/scotland/scotland-awards-for-planning-excellence/

“Alloa Hub has been an excellent collaborative design and production process – re-purposing a building that was lying derelict into a community venue. It is now supported and operated by Alloa Hub Limited which is a charity and community benefit society, the first in Clackmannanshire and has been established through community shares purchased by local people and organisations. It has returned a public toilet to the town centre along with a new shower, and operates a shop, selling local producers’ product and active travel books and maps,  and a workshop which is rented out to local groups. It is also home to the Clackmannanshire Tapestry and is the starting journey for many new visitors to Alloa and the county. The building has been low cost to convert and proving to be efficient to operate for the charity and hugely beneficial for local people.” Anthea Coulter, Director Alloa Hub Limited

Oliver Goddard, Architect at Austin-Smith:Lord added “It is brilliant to see the Alloa Hub recognized for its strong commitment to Sustainability.  This deep retrofit has delivered a healthy and inclusive environment that is thriving with social activity that is increasing high street footfall, promoting active travel and investing profits from the sale of its local products back into the local community.  Overall it is a valuable precedent for how carbon appropriate solutions and a fabric-first approach can save buildings from demolition whilst generating economic activity and bolstering social cohesion.” 

Project Team:

Client: Hub East Central

Architect and Landscape Architect: Austin-Smith:Lord

Structures: Bayne Stevenson Associates Ltd

Services: David R Murray & Associates

Contractor: Marshall Construction Ltd