The 30-home development is being built for Bield in partnership with Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Housing Association.
Councillor Bailie James McNally of Glasgow City Council joined Bield vice chair Gerry O’Sullivan and Seddon business unit manager Pat Henry at a special sod-cutting event to mark the start of construction work.
The two-storey building, set to be completed in July 2012, will house one- and two-bedroom purpose-built flats for older residents with state-of-the-art construction and insulation standards designed to deliver warm, highly energy-efficient homes. The overall development will achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating on the EcoHomes system for assessing environmental performance, with solar panels among the features contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. Eight of the flats will be wheelchair accessible with the scope to be adapted to meet the specific needs of individual wheelchair users.
The first residents of the brand-new energy-efficient development, designed by architects Austin-Smith:Lord, will be tenants from high-rise flats due to be demolished as part of Glasgow Housing Association’s regeneration programme.
The new homes are being built on the site of the former Glenspean School which was demolished last summer.
Gerry O’Sullivan commented: “I am delighted to be here at the start of this new Bield development. As a former employee of Glasgow Housing Association it gives me particular pleasure that Bield is helping GHA to meet its commitments to tenants in Glasgow. I am sure the experience and expertise that Bield has in providing housing and services for older people will complement the skills of GHA in regeneration.”
“As a company with a strong local presence in Glasgow, it’s a pleasure to be using our housing expertise to help create these warm, high-quality homes for older residents,” says Pat Henry of Seddon Construction. During the construction programme, as part of its commitment to working closely with communities, Seddon will be working closely with local schools, including talking to students regarding site safety, as well as helping them find out about career opportunities in construction.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
