Building Briefs – April 30th

Threesixty Architecture has launched a new office in the vibrant Merchant City area of Glasgow.

Having outgrown its previous studio the company identified that it wanted to be in one space and on one floor.

When the top floor of the Garment Factory became available Threesixty immediately knew it was right for them.

At 8,500sqft, it was significantly larger than requirements, but this has led to some wonderful opportunities to really explore how the practice could reflect and support its culture and values in the interior design and encourage design collaboration.

Lovell celebrates double success at International Safety Awards

Two Lovell housing developments in Scotland have received International Safety Awards in recognition of its commitment to health and safety management on sites.

The British Safety Council presented an International Safety Award with merit to Lovell’s Kenilworth Road development in East Kilbride which was built on behalf of Clyde Valley Housing Association, creating 34 new homes. Lovell’s development of 16 new homes for North Lanarkshire Council at Afton Road in Kildrum, Cumbernauld, was also presented with a merit award.

Now in their 60th year, the International Safety Awards recognise and celebrate organisations from around the world which have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the scheme’s independent judges their commitment to preventing workplace injuries and work-related ill health during the previous calendar year.

UK’s first Radisson RED hotel opens in Glasgow

Radisson RED Glasgow opened its doors today in the city’s West End following a £30 million investment by Glasgow company Forrest Hotels Ltd, a subsidiary of Forrest Group.

The 174-room Radisson RED Glasgow is also the first new-build Radisson RED property to open in Europe.

Private landlord opens new rural housing development in Angus

A developer and landlord has opened a new housing development in the Angus village of Inverkeilor.

The conversion of the former Chance Inn includes six apartments, a communal courtyard and parking.

Developer Carling Property Group said there was already “a strong amount of interest” locally in what will be a boost to the area’s affordable housing stock.

Called New Chance Inn Court, the development will also include one detached and two semi-detached homes, due to open later this year.

Funding for the £900,000 project came partly from a £300,000 grant from the Scottish Government’s Rural Housing Fund, which aims to increase the supply of affordable housing in rural Scotland.

Dundee-based Carling Property Group, the company behind New Chance Inn Court, has a track record of providing high-quality housing, mainly through existing building conversions.

Carling Property Group, run by husband and wife Graeme and Leanne Carling, owns and manages 350 rental properties all over Scotland, mostly in the Dundee and Angus area.

DM Hall appoints valuation surveyor Lucy McKnight as consultants in Edinburgh

DM Hall has appointed Lucy McKnight, a commercial property valuation surveyor with ten years’ professional experience, as a consultant.

She will be based in the firm’s Edinburgh office as part of DM Hall’s East commercial department.

An honours graduate in geography of the University of Glasgow, she holds an MSc in Urban Real Estate Management from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and qualified as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2010. Subsequently, she worked in Edinburgh and London with a number of leading professional firms including GVA Grimley, EA Shaw before it was taken over by CBRE and DTZ.

Before re-locating from London to Edinburgh in early 2018, Lucy was associate director, valuation advisory, at Colliers International, responsible for providing quarterly and annual valuations for a number of funds together with one-off instructions for loan security, portfolio acquisitions and asset valuations.

In addition, she was the lead contact in providing regular valuations to various UK property funds, two of which were valued at approximately £500m each and included the main property sectors as well as hotels, leisure and student accommodation covering all UK regions.

Investment in Scottish offices hits all time record with £342m transacted in Q1 2018

Investment into Scottish offices marks a 96% increase on the historic first quarter average volume with £342 million transacted in Q1 2018, according to the latest research from international real estate advisor Savills.

Strong investor demand for Edinburgh against a lack of opportunities sees prices continue to inch up, notes the firm, with prime yields moving in a further 25bps (basis points) to 5% in the first three months of 2018. This sees the gap between Edinburgh investment opportunities, and those in the South, narrow, says Savills, with the Scottish capital now on a par with Leeds and Bristol for the very best space.

In Aberdeen, 2018 has seen higher levels of office investment during the first quarter (£131 million) than in the previous two years and it marks the strongest year of overseas investment into Aberdeen on record. The headline deal was LCN Capital Partners’ £112.5m acquisition of Aberdeen International Business Park, representing a 6.9% yield.

In Glasgow where yields are currently 5.5%, Savills says investor demand for prime lots remains strong evidenced by L&G LPI Income Property Fund’s acquisition of 3 Atlantic Quay for £50m and Hermes acquiring Skypark for an undisclosed sum.

Strong investment volumes reflect a healthy occupational story, says Savills, with take up in the first quarter of 2018 totalling 493,000 sq ft in Scotland’s core office markets (Aberdeen wider, Edinburgh city centre, Glasgow city centre), 9% above the five year quarterly average. Savills forecasts core Scotland take up in 2018 will reach 1.8 million sq ft, in line with both the previous five year average and 2017’s level.

Over the next five years, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are forecast to see a combined 3.6% office based employment growth, in line with the national average according to the firm.

Air source heating for Melville homes in Forth

Melville Housing Association tenants in the South Lanarkshire town of Forth are set for a major boost to their home heating with the fitting of eco-friendly air source heat pumps, replacing their old, inefficient systems.

25 Melville homes with older solid fuel and electric heating systems (those fitted before 2010) will benefit from the new greener solution as part of a £600,000 investment in the South Lanarkshire community which will also deliver new kitchens in 40 properties.

The work to install the new systems, which will be carried out by Glasgow-based Ecoliving (part of the Turner Group), is expected to begin shortly and last through the spring and summer with all homes to be completed by the autumn.

Half of the cost of the new heating systems, which work the same way as fridges only in reverse, is expected to come from the UK government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, made available to communities that are not on the gas network.

The work follows on from a major insulation project, completed in 2016, that saw all Melville properties in Forth fitted with external insulation and cladding, reducing damp, improving weatherproofing and vastly improving comfort levels, making them much cheaper to heat and keep warm.

Historic Craig Dunain Hospital undergoes wood boring insect and fungal decay treatment

Specialist technicians from Wise Property Care have been called in to help the iconic Craig Dunain Hospital from woodworm and fungal decay.

Formerly known as Inverness District Asylum, the historic building, which first opened in 1864, treated patients with mental illnesses until it closed in the year 2000. Well-loved for its beauty and contribution to society, it is being renovated into luxury apartments and townhouses which will preserve the building’s character.

Wise Property Care was brought in to inspect numerous holes appearing in the timber, some of which is as old as the hospital itself. Surveyors quickly identified the cause – common furniture beetles, which are responsible for 75% of all woodworm damage in the country. Further areas of the building have been affected by dry rot, including some of the roof joists and timbers above the windows and doors.

Replacing timbers that have existed since the late 1800s can be difficult, but Wise Property Care is meticulously matching new wood by dimension and weight, to ensure the building’s heritage is maintained. Wood infected with wet and dry rot must be replaced where it is threatening the structure of the building, and this will be done with reinforced concrete and steel beams.

Wise Property Care will have two technicians working onsite and expect the restoration project to last up to five years.

Scottish Borders Council to develop individual school plans for secondary school estate review

Scottish Borders Council has agreed to the development of individualised strategic plans for each of the four secondary schools in the communities of Galashiels, Hawick, Peebles and Selkirk.

Approval to review the estate of the four high schools was given by Council on 7 November 2017. Since then, a detailed assessment has been undertaken looking at the suitability, condition and capacity of the individual schools as well as the readiness and opportunities within their associated communities to deliver an exciting vision as part of the Schools for the Future programme.

An engagement process has been carried out with pupils, staff, parents, parent councils and the community in the four school clusters. Events were held in each high school which gave people the opportunity to view the condition surveys and other information as well as share their ideas of what they would like to see regarding the future vision for learning provision their area. A feedback form was also available from 6 March to 16 April 2018 to give people the opportunity to provide additional input.

Following analysis of the data received, it was agreed that the most effective way to proceed would be to create individual plans that will enable bespoke strategies to be created for each school in line with the principles of the overall School Estate Review and the pillars of the Christie Commission.

The intention is that the plans will contribute significantly to the vision and priorities set out in the Council Administration’s Connected Borders strategic plan which include improved opportunities for learning, improved business links and skills development regarding developing the young workforce, providing opportunities for intergenerational learning and providing a place where communities can come together to support families.

They will also progress a number of improvements to be carried out at the schools as part of the council’s capital programme.

A progress report will be brought back to the council’s executive committee in October 2018.

The report is available on the SBC website