PEARCE STREET

Multi award-winning residential development for a tight urban site in the historic core of Govan, Glasgow

Pearce Street, Govan

Bield Housing Association (now Bield Housing & Care) specialises in providing homes for the elderly in Scotland. They had acquired a small tight site in the historic core of Govan, a site surrounded by A-listed buildings but adjacent to the site of now demolished former ship building yards. The height of the adjacent listed building limited development to seven storeys and required very compact economical planning to accommodate the brief for 27 flats with 69 bed spaces.

The apartments occupy a whole footprint of the site up to the ownership boundary. Consequently the North and West elevations which front the street are the only elevations where habitable rooms could be located. This is to their advantage however, as all rooms are afforded stunning views across the Clyde.

The common areas, stairs, lifts and circulation spaces are on the South elevation where windows have been recessed back from the boundary to allow extensive sun penetration into small space sitting areas. Open space is provided in a south facing logia positioned over the central boiler plant.

Using a brick similar to the common brick of the back courts and Govan’s industrial heritage, the design expresses it’s structural grid. The plain cubic brick volume and geometric simplicity provides a subtle counterpoint to the eclectic mix of styles of the surrounding 19th century architecture.

Our thanks are due to the architects Austin Smith Lord, and the rest of the design team, and to the main contractor, CCG (Scotland) Ltd, who have exceeded our expectations in developing and executing the design brief for this difficult site.

Alister McDonald – Depute Chief Executive, Bield

LOCATION: GLASGOW

CLIENT: BIELD HOUSING ASSOCIATION

VALUE: £3.2m

COMPLETION: 2010
SERVICE: ARCHITECTURE
SECTOR: RESIDENTIAL
CONTRACTOR: CCG (SCOTLAND) LTD

STRUCTURES: URS SCOTT WILSON
SERVICES: DAVID R MURRAY & ASSOCIATES
COST CONSULTANT: ARMOUR CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT: ARCHAEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

  • Related Projects
    READ MORE
  • Maelfa Mixed Use Regeneration
    Significant change and much needed improvements to a tired and failing 1970’s shopping centre environment
    READ MORE
  • MANOR HALL GARDENS, LONDON
    Development of an old garage site to provide a 3-storey apartment block with 10 affordable dwellings designed to the highly energy-efficient Passivhaus Standard
    READ MORE
  • TROWBRIDGE MAWR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, CARDIFF
    34 new build homes located in the context of Gwent Levels' Site of Specific Scientific Interest
    READ MORE
  • SUNNYSIDE HOUSE, BRIDGEND
    Addressing an urgent need for affordable housing in Bridgend by providing 65 high-quality, sustainable homes for social rent in close proximity to the town centre.
    READ MORE
  • BANANA ISLAND VILLAS
    Three villas in the affluent Banana Island neighbourhood of Lagos, Nigeria
    READ MORE
  • Schooner Way Housing Cardiff
    SCHOONER WHARF, CARDIFF BAY
    New build mixed tenure housing development in a prominent waterside location in Cardiff Bay
    READ MORE
  • PEARL HOUSE ADAMSDOWN SUPPORTED LIVING, CARDIFF
    An urban infill development, by Cardiff Council, to provide accommodation and support for young adults with complex needs
    READ MORE

HAMADRYAD

Affordable housing on former hospital site located close to Cardiff Bay

HAMADRYAD

The Hamadryad Regeneration project involves the provision of high quality affordable housing on a former hospital site located close to Cardiff Bay, alongside the River Taff.

The project presented significant design challenges due to its prominent location when viewed from the Taff river corridor across open playing fields and its proximity to the Victorian, Hamadrayad Hospital building and nearby residential communities. The site also contained a number of mature trees with Tree Preservation Orders and was relatively constrained within an area of land wrapping around the retained hospital building, bounded by iron railings and mature hedges.

Our design solution was to create a high quality central courtyard space, alongside the Victorian hospital, having a shared surface to accommodate pedestrians and cars bounded by terraces of contemporary housing on two sites and a taller apartment building to the west.

The apartment building is orientated north/south and faces directly on to the river and Taff Trail cycle route. A six storey element punctuates the southwest corner and acts as a landmark when viewed from Cardiff Bay against the backdrop of Cardiff City Centre.

CCHA’s vision is ‘providing homes, regenerating communities’, and developing new affordable housing is a key way in which we achieve this. Our Hamadryad development has created 55 very desirable apartments with fantastic views across the city, which the new tenants are thrilled with.

Kevin Protheroe – Chief Executive, CCHA

LOCATION: CARDIFF

CLIENT: CCHA

VALUE: £7.4m

COMPLETION: 2017
SERVICE: ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE
SECTOR: RESIDENTIAL
CONTRACTOR: MORGANSTONE

LANDSCAPE: AUSTIN-SMITH: LORD
STRUCTURES: BLACKBURN GRIFFITHS
PLANNING: ASBRI PLANNING

  • Related Projects
    READ MORE
  • Maelfa Mixed Use Regeneration
    Significant change and much needed improvements to a tired and failing 1970’s shopping centre environment
    READ MORE
  • MANOR HALL GARDENS, LONDON
    Development of an old garage site to provide a 3-storey apartment block with 10 affordable dwellings designed to the highly energy-efficient Passivhaus Standard
    READ MORE
  • TROWBRIDGE MAWR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, CARDIFF
    34 new build homes located in the context of Gwent Levels' Site of Specific Scientific Interest
    READ MORE
  • SUNNYSIDE HOUSE, BRIDGEND
    Addressing an urgent need for affordable housing in Bridgend by providing 65 high-quality, sustainable homes for social rent in close proximity to the town centre.
    READ MORE
  • BANANA ISLAND VILLAS
    Three villas in the affluent Banana Island neighbourhood of Lagos, Nigeria
    READ MORE
  • Schooner Way Housing Cardiff
    SCHOONER WHARF, CARDIFF BAY
    New build mixed tenure housing development in a prominent waterside location in Cardiff Bay
    READ MORE
  • PEARL HOUSE ADAMSDOWN SUPPORTED LIVING, CARDIFF
    An urban infill development, by Cardiff Council, to provide accommodation and support for young adults with complex needs
    READ MORE

LOUDOUN SQUARE

A collaboration between Cardiff City Council, Cardiff Community Housing Association, Cardiff Local Health Board and Cardiff and Vale NHS

Loudoun Square, Cardiff

The Loudoun Square regeneration project is a collaboration between Cardiff City Council, Cardiff Community Housing Association, Cardiff Local Health Board and Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust. The site is located between Cardiff City Centre and Cardiff Bay, and was previously occupied by an existing health centre and local shops, together with a vacant area of land.

The area has been regenerated with the creation of new modern facilities to serve the local community and include a new health centre, shops, affordable homes and community facilities.

Sustainability was of paramount importance for the project, with the new Community Centre and Shops designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’. The Health Centre is the first BREEAM Excellent Health Centre in Wales. It was also awarded a Welsh BREEAM Health Care Award.

The 62 new homes are designed to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes – Level 4 and Level 5. To achieve these stringent environmental targets, the designs incorporate innovative strategies such as harvesting of rain water, Bio Mass fuelled heating and extensive use of ‘A’ rated insulation materials.

Given this is a mixed use scheme with a range of stakeholders, Austin-Smith:Lord’s team managed to take on board the design challenge and inputs of the users, to help deliver a high quality and functional building.

Ken Thomas – Project Consultant, CCHA

LOCATION: CARDIFF

CLIENT: CCCH / CARDIFF COUNCIL

VALUE: £13m

COMPLETION: 2014
SERVICE: ARCHITECTURE, INTERIORS, LANDSCAPE
SECTOR: CIVIC, HEALTHCARE, RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL
CONTRACTOR: LEADBITTER

LANDSCAPE: AUSTIN-SMITH: LORD
STRUCTURES: BINGHAM HALL O’HANLAN
SERVICES: SABA CONSULT
COST CONSULTANT: DAVIS LANGDON

AWARDS:
FIRST BREEAM EXCELLENT HEALTHCARE CENTRE IN WALES
HOUSING AWARDS 2014 – UK HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR