Anderston

About this project

The Anderston Regeneration is a five-phase multi-award winning project that has changed the face of a key urban quarter in Glasgow city centre. More than a decade in the making, the project involved replacing damp, highly inefficient 1960s-built concrete flats with a modern interpretation of the Victorian tenement-style housing that once stood in the area.

Constructed across five phases for Sanctuary Scotland, 540 modern, energy efficient, affordable homes have been provided to the people of Anderston and in doing so have created a new link from the city to the vibrant West End. The two final phases of the project, designed by Collective Architecture, have reinstated a section of Argyle Street and restored important vistas from Glasgow city centre into the West End and vice versa.

Choice of materials reflects the area’s history

The new homes are a mix of 2-storey townhouses and 4, 5, 6 and 7-storey flats, constructed using a closed panel timber system together with traditional blockwork and clad in a selection of complementary materials and colours that reflect the area’s history.

Completed in 2011, phases 1 and 2 brought a total of 176 flats that were a fresh take on the housing of the area with a mix of traditional brickwork and multi-coloured aluminium panels – one block in Phase 2 even has a homage to the famous Scottish comedian, Billy Connelly.

Phase 3A and 3B, 49 mixed-tenure homes and 109 flats respectively, were constructed over a two-year period, each again reflecting the historical tone of the Anderston area and this time clad using a mix of buff brick and zinc panelling.

Meanwhile, the final 206 properties constructed in phases 4 and 5 were clad in a mix of sandstone and buff brick, highlighted with powder-coated alumnium.

Bringing the light in

The spacious flats are dual aspect with the majority having south facing elevations. The residents on the upper floors benefit from considerable views to the south, and some also have their own Juliette balconies. From the street, feature LED lighting, set within communal gardens and areas of hard landscaping, provide a safe public realm for residents to enjoy during the day and night.

A wide variety of flat styles and sizes were created to offer residents a choice best suited to their needs. From the outset, integration was crucial to the long-term success of the scheme which was further enhanced with the introduction of a retail unit, now a convenience store, play spaces, amenity areas and a cycle path creating a link to the scheme and Glasgow’s Clyde-side.

Upon completion, the scheme has opened up the area of Anderston to one of the UK’s trendiest areas, Finnieston, by providing ample public realm space, new cycle routes and pedestrian walkways. In the car-free areas, pedestrians and cyclists can now enjoy a direct route through the development complemented by generous recreational and green spaces.

Use of timber

The Anderston Regeneration Masterplan was designed to re-house the existing Anderston community. With such an extensive re-housing initiative, the homes had to be constructed faster and to a far greater environmental standard to combat the issue of fuel poverty.

Taking a fabric-first approach, the chosen method of construction was timber frame. CCG OSM’s enhanced closed panel ‘iQ’ system, together with traditional blockwork for the taller blocks, was used across all phases.

The ‘iQ’ timber frame system was constructed offsite by CCG with insulation, internal wall linings, windows and doors all pre-installed before being transported to site, resulting in considerable time-savings in the construction timeline.

In addition to the timber frame, all internal, flat entrance and common stairwell timber door sets were designed and manufactured by CCG Manufacturing.

Through the use of this timber system, energy-saving appliances and solar PV, residents can expect long-term energy savings thanks to a more efficient use of energy and a reduction in heat loss.

Community benefit

Throughout the masterplan’s construction programme, CCG has been committed to community benefit initiatives resulting in jobs for local trade apprentices, student work placements and curriculum support for local schools and colleges.