Building Briefs – November 21st

• Cruden Homes lends support to Aitkenhead Primary School  

The donation is being used to enhance the school’s outdoor learning areas and provide much-needed playground activities.

Pupils from Aitkenhead Primary School went to visit the nearby Laburnum Lea development, where Cruden Homes is currently building an exclusive range of two and three-bedroom villas. The pupils met with the Cruden Homes Site Team to learn about working in the housebuilding industry and the many career opportunities available.

Aitkenhead’s Parent Council contacted Cruden Homes to ask if they could support the school’s annual Christmas Fayre fundraiser. Cruden Homes generously donated £500 towards the worthy cause of improving outdoor learning areas and playground activities at the school.

The donation was gratefully received by the Parent Council and school head teacher Alison Sommerville.

• Urban Union supports STEM curriculum at local school

Housebuilder Urban Union is fostering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) talent among primary pupils in north Edinburgh by running a competition designed to test innovation and creativity.

The competition with Pirniehall Primary, which is located less than a mile from Urban Union and the City of Edinburgh Council’s Pennywell Living development, saw primary 4 – 7 pupils create house models from scratch using woodwork skills.

24 pupils picked up awards for their efforts in architectural design, property layout and execution of the marketing brochure.

STEM is a curriculum which groups subjects science, technology, engineering and maths together, teaching them in an interdisciplinary and applied approach rather than as four separate subjects.

Pennywell living is part of a housing-led regeneration programme being delivered through a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and Urban Union. It is located only two miles from Edinburgh City Centre and is in the catchment area of a number of great local primary and secondary schools.

The development is in prime position to make the most of the many shops, bars and restaurants the capital has to offer and has a wealth of useful amenities in the area, making it perfect for young professionals and families.

• Demolition work starts after Glasgow tenement fire

Demolition work has begun on a tenement building in Glasgow’s Pollokshields area after it partially collapsed in a fire.

The fire on Albert Street was believed to have started in Strawberry & Spice Garden grocery below the flats around 11.30pm on Sunday.

The building collapsed around six hours later, destroying the shop and two flats.

More than 40 homes near the building were evacuated and cordoned off for several days. The BBC reports that residents of 14 flats have still not been allowed to return to their homes.

No one was seriously injured but one man was treated for the effects of breathing in smoke.

An exclusion zone was put in place around the site and cut off about 20 flats and more than 20 businesses, including a pharmacy, until Friday. Nine of the businesses on Albert Drive remain inaccessible.

Glasgow City Council said it had taken control of the site on Friday and would work with demolition experts over the weekend to make the site safe.

The initial demolition work will be done by hand from an elevated platform to try and preserve the surrounding properties, including two jewellers shops.