case study


“The architects introduced a natural stonework facade at the tower base with a ‘Cartsdyke Apartments’ engraving


system is now used to heat all flats in Cartsdyke Apartments. Clyne added: “The existing heating system was electric storage heating – very inefficient and expensive. That, coupled with old draughty windows and a failing EWI render system, made the building inefficient and expensive to heat for all. River Clyde Homes and ourselves looked at other possibilities and arrived quickly at this being the best option to install biomass. The system brings a much reduced heating bill to the tenants and a warm environment.”


Cartsdyke Apartments


Project cost: £2,061,000 Rent: £77.18 p/w (caretaker & laundry facilities inclusive) Main contractor: Morris & Spottiswood Principal designer: AHR Architects Architect: Murray: Russell Architects Interior designer: ARKA Biomass contractors: Gibson Goold Structural engineer: David R Murray and Associates Service consultant: Atelier Ten Render: AFS Windows: CMS Window Systems


Look and feel


Beyond structural improvements, RCH wanted to bring a new look and feel to the high-rise internally that would contrast with typical 1960s tower blocks. The association appointed architect Murray Russell, who claimed to have brought the ‘feel of a hotel’ to the development. The architects introduced a natural stonework facade at the tower base with a ‘Cartsdyke Apartments’ engraving. They also redesigned the lobby to include grey tiled walls, bright wooden doors and ‘premium’ design touches such as embossed mailbox numbers, steel elevator doors and secluded meeting spaces. The clever redesign also meant there was enough space to create two


additional wheelchair-accessible flats, suitable for residents with mobility problems. As requested by tenants during the consultations, level access features such as automatic sliding doors had also been incorporated in the lobby and all communal areas. The inclusion of an entrance porch and an external ramp were also welcome additions to the development, as was the resurfaced access road.


Challenges


“The main issue we faced was weather during the render works and plant room build, which delayed the removal of the scaffold and in turn held up the lower level works and the common area reconfiguration,” explained O’Rourke. Gordon Clyne seconded this in his assessment, highlighting the


building’s exposed location close to River Clyde meant stormy weather had been the contractors’ main concern, alongside the pace at which the biomass system design was realised.


“RCH got very few complaints over the course of the works, largely thanks to the association’s willingness to listen to its tenants’ requests”


Consultation is key River Clyde Homes says all the work was completed with minimum


disruption to tenants, who had been informed about imminent works in order to make any necessary arrangements. “As all the works were carried out while the tenants remained in their


homes, the common area works were challenging with people coming in and out of the building and common areas,” explained Joanna O’Rourke. “The main priority [for us] was to ensure the areas were safe and that tenants were disrupted as little as possible. The contractor also came in at night to carry out some of the floor tiling as these were low traffic times,” she added. O’Rourke noted RCH got very few complaints over the course of the


works, largely thanks to the association’s willingness to listen to its tenants’ requests. “When there’s something that people want, they are ready to put up with some disruption in order to get it,” she concluded. “I have to say the tenants were great throughout the works and were very patient and accommodating.”


26 | HMM January 2017 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


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